My younger cousin recently texted me asking if she could talk to me about how she’s been feeling after the attacks in Paris. She’s scared and downright terrified that something like this could happen to her or to the people she loves.I told her it’s okay to be afraid. The horror of this situation is that this is a legitimate fear. It can happen anywhere to anyone and that’s why these events are so awful and why they strike such a chord with people. These terrors make us realize how precious life is and how quickly it can change for hundreds of people with no warning or reason.
In 2013 when the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon, my entire family was right there at that finish line. Thankfully they were just far enough away so that no one was hurt, but close enough to watch hundreds of innocent civilians be robbed of either their lives, their limbs, or the simple sense of security in their own city. On Friday the 13th in Paris, an equally chilling and more brutal attack of terror struck the city. Average men, women and children who did no wrong were bombarded with bullets and violence, and struck with continuous fear.
So what are we to do? Stay in our houses forever? Anything can happen there too...you could be hit by a car tomorrow or be in the wrong place 30 years from now. We must not hide from our daily lives and let these terrors keep us indoors, but we must remember it is OK to be afraid. It is OK to ask for help to get through these terrible acts over which we have no control. Limiting how you live your life because of these acts of terror is letting the bad guys win. It’s showing them and the rest of the world that evil and hate prevail above all.
My freshman year of college took place the fall after the marathon bombings. I struggled with going to any public event with a crowd: music festivals, fireworks, marches, parties -- which were all things I otherwise loved. I avoided them all because I was afraid. I let the fear control my life, and it’s something I regret to this day. That spring, my parents and brother went back to the finish line to show their support. Not to show a lack of fear, but to prove that their city could not be taken from them. As my mother always says, “let go, let God.” We are allowed to be afraid -- but we are not allowed to hide. Whether you believe in a god or a higher power or not, the statement stretches further than that; there is a lot in life you can control, but there is also a lot you can’t.
So when my cousin told me she was afraid and didn’t know how to react, I told her: it is okay to be afraid. We live in a world where these fears are not irrational but you cannot let them control your life. We live in a world where terrible things are happening every day to innocent people, and this is our reality. What happened in Paris was absolutely tragic and horrifying, but as we mourn, and ask why, we must try and focus on the positives and the things we can control. So keep your faith in humanity, spread kindness and love, and do not hold back because of fear. We must not let skewed minds and violent attacks control our lives and our world.
