What's that got to do with me?

There are two options when others find themselves in difficult situations:

1) Shrug, ask what it's got to do with you, and move away;
2) Reach out and offer help.

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The incident in Manchester this week saw masses of people offer help; passersby and first responders raced towards the chaos. Thousands attended the "vigil of defiance" last night. Some people tried to place blame, very few chose to ignore the whole thing, but the vast majority looked to heal wounds physical and emotional.

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A friend reached a crisis point this week and the response of some agencies was to say "you brought this on yourself" or "we won't help you until you help yourself." The result was that the crisis spiralled.

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Two other, separate friends have young infants and husbands who work abroad. I've offered to help both of them with babysitting or dog sitting or just bringing in sustenance. Just knowing that the option is there can help to make the difficult moments with tiny babies a little more manageable.

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I've been able to give help to others in a variety of small ways over the last few weeks, which I won't go into for reasons of my modesty and their privacy.

Through all of this, I continue to see my counsellor on a weekly basis. Therapy has proved invaluable to me and I'm steadily rebuilding my confidence and enjoying hobbies again. I can't say whether or not I'd have stayed afloat emotionally during the above events if I wasn't taking care of myself. Looking after "Number One" isn't selfish, it's vitally important. But it's not the end of the journey. The human heart has limitless capacity for love, compassion and generosity if it is, itself, nurtured and provided with care.

I truly believe we can stand with Manchester, help friends in need, look after a friend's child in our free time and enjoy self-care, all in moderation. If each of us turns inward and only takes to do with issues directly impacting upon our own lives, society crumbles.

If you know someone who seems like they could use a hand, offer one to them. Take them a prepared meal, fetch them a coffee, sit with them while they offload their problems... and look after yourself too. We'll all benefit from spreading goodwill around even our own small corners of the globe.

Sorry for preaching!

Peace and love.

FG xx