Anyone else feeling afraid this week?

Is it just me or is the world becoming more and more dangerous? The latter half of this year has just been relentless with tales of loss, horror and tragedy from around the world. Terrorism, massacres, missing children, abandoned babies, tragic deaths of people far too young. And so much is happening on our own doorstep. It terrifies me.

The way I see the world has changed since becoming a parent. In my 20’s, I saw the world through young, naïve eyes. I saw beauty, adventure and amazing detail. I pondered the universe, and higher power. I read The Alchemist and felt all spiritual. I lived by the philosophy of the poem Desiderata: a peaceful, kind life, as a ‘child of the universe’. Desiderata assured me that the world was a beautiful place.

Now, I see the world as something to be afraid of, and this feeling has grown with every child I’ve had. I’m afraid of child-snatchers and paedophiles. I’m afraid of drunk-drivers. I’m afraid of cancer. I’m afraid of sharks. I’m afraid of drunken brawls in the city, and one-punch deaths. Now I’m afraid of terrorism. All these things threaten my ability to protect my babies. And the most important thing in my life is being a parent who can do this.

Sometimes I worry about what I have brought my children into. Will they see the world as a threatening place, or as one of beauty and wonder, like I used to? I know a lot of this is down to me, and how I describe the world to them. But man, I am afraid.

Is the world still wonderful? Maybe I need to look a bit harder. There are still wonderful people around, the aftermath of the Sydney siege has proved that.  But the news consistently reports of new dreadful things happening to innocent people. Maybe my parenting eyes filter everything so that only that which poses a threat to my offspring stands out. Maybe that’s how I interpret the news these days. I can’t watch it anymore.

I know my job is to raise my children, to love them and protect them. To not be able to that is my greatest fear. I have to keep moving forward, must show them that there are beautiful things in the world, despite the ugliness around us. The way I see it, there are two choices for me: live a life controlled by fear or live a life despite it. One choice renders me powerless, the other empowers me. For the sake of my kids, I know which one it has to be.

I mustn’t let fear win, and I won’t let evil win.

Join me if you will. Let’s try to move past the fear and live our lives the best we can. Let’s be good people that practice good things and show kindness to everyone we come across in our lives. Let’s remember the beautiful people that we've lost this week and vow not to let evil hold us back. Don’t let them win.

And let’s cuddle our babies CLOSE.

Dedicated to everyone affected by the Sydney Siege x