Why I Created the Link In Safety Song: A Journey from Fear to Empowerment

As a mother of four children, safety is a constant concern for me, just like it is for every parent. But as the world around us began to change, with gun violence and random acts of terror increasing, that concern grew into something deeper. It wasn’t just about hoping for the best anymore—I needed to do something proactive to protect my family. This drive eventually led me to create the Link In Safety Song, a tool to empower children, teachers, and communities to act quickly and confidently in emergencies. But it didn’t start that way. Let me take you back to where this all began.

The Turning Point: Facing Fear During Our Travels

When we had our first child, the news was already full of tragic stories of escalating violence. And then it hit even closer to home. My husband and I had planned a big vacation, a cruise to Iceland, and we were considering canceling it due to the surge of violence in Europe, particularly in London at the time. Not long before, we had been in France, dining at a restaurant that would later become the site of a horrific shooting. We sat at the very table where lives were later lost, eating French food, sipping wine, completely unaware that tragedy would strike in that very spot.

It was a moment that shook us to our core. It felt like we had escaped by luck. We started asking ourselves, “What if we had been there when it happened? What would we have done?” Faced with the choice of whether to cancel our trip or embrace life despite the fear, we had a deep conversation about how we wanted to approach the world we were raising our children in.

Finding a New Way Forward

Instead of letting fear take over, we made a decision. We would arm ourselves with knowledge and preparation. My husband, a former Navy serviceman, reached out to Jimmy Graham, founder of Able Shepherd, to learn hand-to-hand combat techniques. He wanted to be prepared to protect us if something ever happened on vacation or at home, and, more importantly, to teach us how to act in dangerous situations so that we could live our lives without being crippled by fear.

But this wasn’t just about me and my husband. When you have kids, everything changes. You feel an overwhelming need to protect them, and it became clear to me that I needed to extend that protection beyond myself. My children needed to know what to do in an emergency. But how do you teach young kids without scaring them? How do you make it a habit, something they’d do instinctively?

The Birth of the Link In Safety Song

It all started small. As our family grew—three children under five, with two in a stroller—I realized that if I ever had to get my children out of a dangerous situation, like an active shooter scenario or even a natural disaster, I couldn’t rely on them simply knowing what to do. They needed practice. I knew that getting kids to follow instructions without hesitation in an emergency was going to take some serious teamwork, and that’s how the idea for the Link In Safety Song was born.

At first, it was more like a fun nursery rhyme. I started with two claps to get everyone’s attention and a command: “Link In.” The idea was simple: grab hold of each other, form a human chain, and follow me. We practiced going left, right, moving fast, moving slow, sitting down, and walking in line. It became a game for them—a way to practice safety without the fear of “what if.”

As the years passed, this simple practice stuck with me. I used it when taking my kids into stores, at sporting events, or just walking in crowded places. It became second nature to them, and it gave me a sense of control in environments where anything could happen.

Evolving for the Real World

The song took on a deeper meaning as the years went by. Living in Colorado, where our town experienced active shooter lockdowns, I realized that I wasn’t the only one living with these fears. Our children were going through drills at daycare, and as parents, we felt the stress of it all. We weren’t alone—parents, teachers, students, and entire communities were gripped by this shared fear of violence in places that should be safe.

After a close friend of mine lost someone in the Nashville shooting in 2023, the urgency for better solutions hit me again. Despite all the drills, armed guards, and safety procedures in place, the reality is that fear can make people freeze, and weaknesses in the plan can be revealed. It was then that the Link In Safety Song transformed from a personal tool into a mission. It wasn’t enough for my kids to be prepared—every child, every teacher, and every parent needed to know exactly what to do, without hesitation, in the event of an emergency.

Why Link In?

Unlike “Link Up,” which is a common command in military drills, I chose “Link In” because it made sense for kids. I wanted my children to think about their bodies, their feet, and their connection in the human chain. The two claps get their attention, and the command “Link In” creates a clear, simple action: hold on and follow the leader. It’s easy, it’s fun, and most importantly, it’s something kids can remember and practice without fear.

And yes, we even practice walking backwards for fun—it teaches teamwork and helps kids feel like they’re part of something bigger. In a real situation, they’d never need to walk backwards, but this added element makes them enjoy it, and when it’s time to get serious, they’ll know exactly what to do.

Taking the Mission Forward

I am so grateful to have Suzy Stone from Hip-Hop Kidz join me in this mission. Together, we’re making a music video to help get the Link In Safety Song out to more people. This is about more than just responding to lockdowns or evacuations. It’s about empowering kids to act confidently in any emergency, whether it’s a fire, a tornado, or an active shooter. It’s about building teamwork, creating future leaders, and giving parents the peace of mind that their children will know how to stay safe.

For any parent who’s ever tried to corral their kids in a crowded store or worried about keeping them safe at a public event, the Link In Safety Song is a tool that makes sense. It helps us prepare our kids not only to follow but to lead when needed, creating a safer, more prepared world for all of us.

And that’s why I wrote this song—to empower, to protect, and to make sure that fear doesn’t have the last word.