I’d planned a very different blog post for today, but given the recent attack in Manchester, have opted to share this Mr Rogers quote.
My daughter is rapidly growing and with assorted atrocities being reported daily, from Syria, Chechnya, the US and closer to home my heart aches for her and her future. I pray for those who’ve lost loved ones and can’t imagine their pain.
I remember as a child being in London when the IRA decided to bomb near the Tower of London. I was still young and it was one of the few times my mum and I were doing the ‘tourist’ thing in London. The one thing which I still remember is standing in a telephone box with my mum (no mobiles then), ringing to say we were safe, then the trek back to my grandmothers. The city seemed strangely calm and everyone was giving directions, updates on the situation and generally helping. There were no recriminations, no abuse or divisions, we were all just humans, trying to get home to our loved ones and I’m so thankful to everyone who helped us. Like now, there are incredible stories of kindness, compassion, of people helping who didn’t need to. In the words of Jo Cox, MP, there truly is more that binds us than divides us.
And now to the present. On a daily basis, I learn so much from her – through playing, discovering new places, and importantly the people we meet. She doesn’t see colour, race, religion, she simply sees a new friend to talk to, share her toys with and share her world. I hope we can all start to do the same.