Tragedy And Hope: Phoenixville Mom's Back To School Post Goes Viral

A Phoenixville mother had an emotional experience when dropping her son off for his first day of first grade on Monday.

The story was posted on the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management’s Facebook page by the mother, Kate, on Monday evening.

By Tuesday morning, it had over 1,100 likes and had been shared 46 times.

Her story was all the more poignant because her family has suffered tragedy just two years ago:

Hi! I really enjoy your page - especially because we just moved from a street that is very much affected by the bridge closure to a street that is very much affected by the bridge closure. We’re still trying to sell our old house - the bridge closure, again, is not helping. You bring so much light and laughter to the entire process and I know I’m not the only grateful one!! The reason I’m writing is to share something with you. It’s up to you if you want to share this on your page or not.

School started for my son this morning - his first day of first grade. It’s a new bus stop for us - right on Valley Park Road. As I stood there with my camera, feeling emotional, I also felt anxiety. I know how stressful this bridge closure has been for so many - and I worried that holding someone up by snapping some photos of my son on the first day of school would cause an issue. I just want to thank the line of cars that were stopped on both sides while my little boy got on the bus. I took my pictures, shook the hand of the new bus driver and wiped a tear away.

The truth is, I should be putting two sons on the bus this year. We lost our oldest son two years ago very suddenly at the age of 5. It’s moments like this that I treasure - and capturing photos means so much to me. I was very grateful for the patience this morning - and even a few waves from drivers as the cars began to move again.

I truly believe that this Facebook page has bonded all of us. We’re in this together - and this page reminds each of us that, at the end of the day, it’s a temporary inconvenience in the grand scheme of life.

Wishing everyone going back to school a happy and safe year. And if you’re traveling down Valley Park in the early morning and see a bus stop - feel free to beep and wave!