“Mom they don’t have a mask, their gunna get sick.” Says my soon to be four year old when we enter any store. Like a dark cloud overcast, the issue of masked vs. optional provokes as many emotions as pro-choice vs. pro-life. Living in the Midwest, politics seem to be far left or far right… the middle is hard to find. My little Ava Grace will be starting all day Pre-K next week and to say I am uncomfortable is an understatement. As a teacher myself, I know what I allow in my classroom vs. what others allow vs. what the district allows. Ultimately, it boils down to what the teacher's stance is and what side of the policies they are on. I believe in science and the experts. I believe in recalls, storm warnings and other public service announcements. I can not be there to tell Ava to keep her mask on in class if her teacher doesn’t find favor in them, I can not tell Ava to keep a safe distance away from her peers, I will not be there to tell her to not share her crayons. I have to rely on her teacher's politics and honestly it scares me being in small town Indiana. However, I want my child educated. I want her to interact with other kids. There is a hard line to send her to school or not, and I guess I will have to take the risk of sending her to in person school.