Friday 26 May 2017

Manchester. #WotW

This week my Word of the Week is:


I had no intention of writing anything about the horrific events that happened in Manchester at the beginning of the week. There is a lot of other bloggers who have written much more eloquently than I ever could but I couldn't not say anything it has dominated the week....

This week I have spent hours watching the news watching events unfold....Crying as the deaths were announced but what has made me tear up more is seeing all the good and kindness which has came from this despicable act....

Ariana Grande offering to pay for the funerals of the dead, the homeless man who helped in the aftermath has had the chance to have his rent payed for 6 months, all the fundraising pages, the nurses and doctors who rushed back to work, the taxi drivers who offered free rides, the people who offered beds, cups of tea and food, the celebrities who have offered to pay for hotels for the families with loved one's in hospital and a million other people who have shown kindness......

Obviously I am aware of the terrorist attacks in the past but they seemed so far from me. Now they seem closer to home. Not just because it was further up North than London but because it was just a random concert....We go to concerts. People from up here in the North East were killed....My friends daughter was at Manchester arena a few months ago seeing a concert....It is scary to think about the what if's....

Watching the news made me want to go and get my girls from school just to give them a big hug and say I love them.....Parents did not get the chance to do that to their children on Monday night....

I have spoken about the terrorism attacks with my girls and Becky my teen really surprised me with her knowledge and maturity....It also worried me that she knows so much about terrorism....I want to shield my girls from what is going on in the world.

I was watching Sky news the other day and Ellie was flitting about and there was a group of people talking to a crowd and there was a woman who stood out who was wearing a Union Jack hijab and reading a poem she had written. Ellie stopped to watch for a few minutes and said "She is SO COOL. See not all Muslims are terrorist's". I asked her who said they were and she said the boys at school.....Eek! I went on to explain that all religions have bad people but the majority are good..... 

18 comments :

  1. Like you I have veered from shock, sadness and then smiling through tears at the kindness that it has brought about. My two are too young to understand about it, it sounds as though your girls are coping well and seeing through the anger and discrimination x Thanks for sharing with #WotW

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    1. It has been a rough week. I am so glad your two don't understand.
      Thank you x

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  2. This is my word of the week as well. Like you I am not planning on writing about it but its just something that we need to talk about isnt it? This is a hard topic to talk to kids to as well. I am still in the dark on how to discuss it with my son. #wotw

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    1. It is so hard not to talk about and we should really.
      I have let my girls do the talking and answering their questions.
      Thank you x

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  3. I haven't wrote about this at all this week. I don't think any words could do justice to how it made me feel. I've discussed it with my kids as I didn't really have a choice. All the photos/videos are of places we know and go to. I can't remember a week I've cried so much.
    I just keep telling them of all the good things that people have done/are doing, and that it was one evil person and thousands of good ones. And that they should be proud to be from Manchester because of the way all of our people have gone above and beyond to help. This will hurt for a very long time.

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    1. I didn't have the words but felt the need to write something.
      It was an awful week but there has been so much good and kindness too.
      Thank you x

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  4. It has been gut wrenching and heartbreaking. I did discuss it with the kids too. I think you have to say to them to look for the helpers, look for the community coming together and love always wins xx

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    1. It has been horrible but amazing to see the country unite. Thank you x

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  5. I think it resonates with everyone the same, so terrible. X #wotw

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  6. You have to focus on the good things, it's such a heartbreaking event. x

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  7. Shocking week , we were at Manchester only the other week x

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  8. I think we've all been knocked for six by the event in Manchester, but you are right. There were so many good actions that followed it, by so many people. #wotw

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    1. It was awful but the good to come from it has been amazing!
      Thank you x

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  9. It has been such an utterly heartbreaking week hasn't it. We were in Manchester on Monday (we came home in the afternoon), and just 3 weeks ago we took our 11 year old to a concert. Both of my children knew friends who were at the concert, who were safe, but our heart has been broken for the nights events. Hugs xx

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  10. Had I not blogged about some of my thoughts on Manchester earlier in the week, I think "shock" would have been my word of the week. It was awful seeing the news on Tuesday - one of those moments that definitely makes you want to hold your children closer and remind them that you love them. It was heartening to see the kindness that people showed - how so many people's first response seemed to be "how can we help?" I'm thankful that my girls are still too young to understand but it sounds like your girls have handled the news well and glad Ellie realises that not all Muslims are terrorists even if the boys in her class don't! #WotW

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