My story of gun violence happened recently, in July 2018. While shopping on a Saturday afternoon, a series of gunshots started a three-hour hostage situation in a Trader Joe’s supermarket.
While hiding, fearing for my life — I meditated. An activity I had been doing on and off for a little over two years at the time. I didn’t “think” about meditating, I just found myself using it to calm my mind and body, and find peace in a situation that felt completely out of my control.
Today, I am so thankful that I had given myself a tool — and that in that moment I instinctually knew to call on it.