Seven coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris, France on Friday, November 13 left at least 129 dead and countless others injured. It was a night of unspeakable terror and grief for France and for the entire world. We were shown the darkest side of humanity, but almost immediately the brightest came out to fight it. Some of the most beautiful and inspirational acts came from ordinary people in the wake of this tragedy. There will be plenty of articles to see the raw data of lives lost and combat strategy and politics, but I think we need to take some time to appreciate how the world united to help build France up again.

On the night of the attacks there was mayhem, with people running all over the city in search of sanctuary. Instead of having an every-man-for-himself attitude, however, the citizens of Paris opened their hearts. Taxi cab drivers turned off their meters, transporting people freely to safe locations.

Other Parisians opened their doors to complete strangers who were unable to reach these safe locations, offering their homes as temporary shelters. Those who did so tweeted the hashtag #PorteOuverte, meaning “open door,” so people would know where to turn. This was a godsend, as many public places were being forcefully evacuated for fear they would be the next targets, and several metro lines were closed.

There is also video footage of football fans leaving the Stade de France singing the French national anthem in solidarity against the terrorists. In this way, these complete strangers were able to fight against the fear and offer each other support as they attempted to exit in a calm manner.

Obviously, no fear can be compared to that of those people in France that night. But there were also friends and family members across the world that were dying to know if their loved ones were safe. To hopefully alleviate the fear of some, Facebook initiated a “Safety Check”, so that Parisians or people visiting Paris at the time could check in and let their Friends know they were okay. Social media is known for all the harm it can do, but on that night it proved extremely advantageous. In addition, Facebook and Snapchat made “Stand With Paris” filters for profile pictures and snap-stories. It was a small gesture, which of course could not substantially help those in France, but it showed the world’s support and connected us all.

Saturday, the day after the attacks, queues of people lined up outside French hospitals to donate blood to the victims. It would have been well within their rights to stay inside and mourn the disaster and heartbreak that befell their city, and yet they refused. Everyday men and women asked themselves what they could do to help, and they did it. This is the beauty of humanity.

In the days following the attacks, several inspirational decisions were made, stories told, and statements given.

France since has increased its obligation to Syrian refugees, letting in more than ever despite the fear of a security threat. French President François Hollande said it is his “humanitarian duty” to give aid to refugees who have come fleeing from tragedies of their own. He pledged that France would welcome 30,000 refugees in the next two years, and would invest over 50 million dollars to develop adequate housing for them. It is amazing that France can be so generous, taking time to help foreign refugees, when the country itself has just suffered such a devastating blow.

Several people affected by the attacks have posted on social media about their experiences. One man, Antoine Leiris, whose wife was killed by the terrorists in the Bataclan concert hall, wrote a tribute to her memory on Facebook. One of the most profound quotes? “I will not give you the gift of hate.” Here is the full translation of his post, entitled “You Will Not Have My Hatred:

Friday night, you took an exceptional life — the love of my life, the mother of my son — but you will not have my hatred, I don't know who you are and I don't want to know, you are dead souls. If this God, for whom you kill blindly, made us in his image, every bullet in the body of my wife would have been one more wound in His heart.

So, no, I will not grant you the gift of my hatred. You're asking for it, but responding to hatred with anger is falling victim to the same ignorance that has made you what you are. You want me to be scared, to view my countrymen with mistrust, to sacrifice my liberty for my security. You lost.

I saw her this morning. Finally, after nights and days of waiting. She was just as beautiful as when she left on Friday night, just as beautiful as when I fell hopelessly in love over 12 years ago. Of course I am devastated by this pain, I give you this little victory, but the pain will be short-lived. I know that she will be with us every day and that we will find ourselves again in this paradise of free love to which you have no access.

We are just two, my son and me, but we are stronger than all the armies in the world. I don't have any more time to devote to you, I have to join Melvil who is waking up from his nap. He is barely 17 months-old. He will eat his meals as usual, and then we are going to play as usual, and for his whole life this little boy will threaten you by being happy and free. Because no, you will not have his hatred either.

The knowledge that anyone could be so rational and have so much love in his heart after losing a spouse is incredible. He illustrates exactly the attitude we need: love will always conquer hate.

One young woman who was actually present on the scene of the attack in the Bataclan concert hall also posted about her experience. Isabel Bowdery is a 22-year-old South African woman who was forced to play dead for hours to evade the eyes of the killers. Here is her post:

You never think it will happen to you. It was just a Friday night at a rock show. The atmosphere was so happy and everyone was dancing and smiling. And then when the men came through the front entrance and began the shooting, we naively believed it was all part of the show. It wasn’t just a terrorist attack, it was a massacre. Dozens of people were shot right in front of me. Pools of blood filled the floor. Cries of grown men who held their girlfriends dead bodies pierced the small music venue. Futures demolished, families heartbroken. In an instant.

Shocked and alone, I pretended to be dead for over an hour, lying among people who could see their loved ones motionless. Holding my breath, trying to not move, not cry — not giving those men the fear they longed to see. I was incredibly lucky to survive. But so many didn’t. The people who had been there for the exact same reasons as I — to have a fun Friday night were innocent. This world is cruel. And acts like this are suppose to highlight the depravity of humans and the images of those men circling us like vultures will haunt me for the rest of my life. The way they meticulously aimed at shot people around the standing area I was in the centre of without any consideration for human life. It didn’t feel real. I expected any moment for someone to say it was just a nightmare.

But this final section is what makes the post especially noteworthy. It illustrates the many ways in which strangers reached out to help her, and how truly she grateful she is to them.

But being a survivor of this horror lets me able to shed light on the heroes. To the man who reassured me and put his life on the line to try and cover my brain whilst I whimpered, to the couple whose last words of love kept me believing the good in the world, to the police who succeeded in rescuing hundreds of people, to the complete strangers who picked me up from the road and consoled me during the 45 minutes I truly believed the boy I loved was dead, to the injured man who I had mistaken for him and then on my recognition that he was not Amaury, held me and told me everything was going to be fine despite being all alone and scared himself, to the woman who opened her doors to the survivors, to the friend who offered me shelter and went out to buy new clothes so I wouldn’t have to wear this blood stained top, to all of you who have sent caring messages of support - you make me believe this world has the potential to be better. To never let this happen again. But most of this is to the 80 people who were murdered inside that venue, who weren’t as lucky, who didn’t get to wake up today and to all the pain that their friends and families are going through. I am so sorry. There’s nothing that will fix the pain. I feel privileged to be there for their last breaths. And truly believing that I would join them, I promise that their last thoughts were not on the animals who caused all this. It was thinking of the people they loved. As I lay down in the blood of strangers and waiting for my bullet to end my mere 22 years, I envisioned every face that I have ever loved and whispered I love you. Over and over again. Reflecting on the highlights of my life. Wishing that those I love knew just how much, wishing that they knew that no matter what happened to me, to keep believing in the good in people. To not let those men win. Last night, the lives of many were forever changed and it is up to us to be better people. To live lives that the innocent victims of this tragedy dreamt about but sadly will now never be able to fulfill. RIP angels. You will never be forgotten.

Finally, the video that inspired the title of this article, of a father who explains to his little boy what we are going to do about these terrorist attacks. The boy is sad because he thinks they have to “change houses” because of the bad guys, but his father explains that they aren’t moving. There are bad guys everywhere, and “France is our home.” When the son expresses his fear of the bad guys’ guns, his father says, “They might have guns, but we have flowers.” The little boy is confused as to how flowers could stand against guns, and his dad explains that the flowers and candles are to protect us, and to remember those we have lost.

It is stories like these that give me hope in a time of such despair. To know that there will always be someone, even a stranger, to accept me in my time of need. To know that there will always be people to stand with me against my fear. To know with certainty that love conquers fear, conquers hate. These brave people have proved this.

They might have guns, but we have flowers.