
This should not have happened, but it did.
Updated: Sep 16, 2020
I spontaneously called my sister Sunday morning, asking if they would like to go with me to Cradlestone Mall. We would go to a shop or two looking for a monitor, then have a nice cup of coffee before we go home.
Unbeknown to us, 7 armed robbers were planning to rob a jewellery store at the Mall during that time. I am sure they must have had it in their minds that they would shoot to kill should it be necessary and should anyone hinder them from what they have set out to achieve that morning.
The five of us decided to order a very tasty calorie packed focaccia and margherita to share - we were oblivious to what was unfolding in the mall, as we were having fun and making memories.
In a matter of seconds everything changed. What was a peaceful, joyful moment turned into a fear filled experience. We had to hide. People were running, screaming. Not knowing exactly what was happening in that moment, everyone retreated to the back of the restaurant and waited.
We soon found out there were armed robbers in the mall, shooting. We waited.
Anxiously, fearfully.
We had 3 children with us โ they had been victims of an armed robbery at their home before. There we were โ we waited. Uncertain. Scared.
And then, an overwhelming sense of protection kicked in. I would have done whatever was necessary to protect my family. I was prepared to do anything to protect.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐. The guard who responded to a call and was shot, the off-duty policemen who put their lives in danger to protect civilians. Restaurant owners who kept us informed, provided us with water. My wonderful partner who didnโt think twice when I called him - he got into his car immediately and rushed to the Mall to fetch us and make us feel safe. And then, every single person who walked away from the mall on Sunday, who experience this horrific event and who has to decide what to do with this memory.
It is not the story that matters, but what we do with it. Not a single thing about what happened that day can be changed, nothing. But I am deeply aware of the fact that I have a choice as to what I will do with Sundayโs experience. What will I take with me into my future, what will I leave behind? How will I process things? Will I focus on growing from this unfortunate event or behave like a victim? Will I be kind to myself and allow myself to feel and acknowledge my emotions, even if it could sometimes be overwhelming, and even feel wrong?
This should not have happened, to anyone, ever! But it did!
โIt is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your lifeโs story will develop.โ โ Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
This is for every person who wakes up every day and struggles to find meaning. This is for every person who asks, โwhy meโ. This is for every person who experiences adversity, who is grieving, who is ill. This is for every person who hurts. This is for every person who feel they have reached the end of the road. This is for every person who feels trapped in a dark place.
๐๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ญ! ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐, ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ.
๐๐๐, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ!
Choose life, choose personal growth, choose to rise above circumstances, above pain, above adversity.
๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐, ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐น, ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ปโ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.
Life is still a beautiful experience, bad things happen indeed, but we can rise above it.