Most of you are already aware of the tragic and gut-wrenching terrorist attacks that happened in Paris this past weekend, and some of you may even be aware that there were also acts of terror in many other countries over the weekend as well-including, but not limited to: Beirut, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Palestine and Yemen.  Unfortunately, to the outrage of a lot of people, Paris is getting the majority of the coverage in the news and on Facebook.

While I think it is very sad that we’re not hearing much about the other attacks, I wonder if a lot of it is that we relate so much more strongly to Paris.  We’ve been hearing about the gross injustice in Syria, Palestine, Iraq, etc. for years.  To us it seems almost normal.  It’s not okay that it seems normal, but it’s been happening for so long that it has become an every day occurrence that we’ve grown used to-which is honestly heartbreaking.  Paris, however, is a city of bustling light and energy.  The city of light represents everything we think of when we think of big cities full of people like us, so a blow to that way of life is much more shocking to our everyday norm.  I think this is one of the bigger reasons we have shown so much solidarity with Paris even after learning about the other attacks.

That doesn’t make it right, or acceptable, but it does give us a little more understanding towards why Paris is so much more personal for some.

Reading all of the accounts of the shootings and bombings that occurred over the weekend had me terrified.  I looked to my best friend and said “How can we expect to ever leave our homes and feel safe?”  Articles with timelines and death tolls in Paris showed people dying at sporting events, while out to dinner with their friends and family, or dancing in a nightclub.  My heart was filled with pain for the victims, and I was filled with fear for those I love.  These are normal things we do every day.  We grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant, join our friends at a soccer game, or go dancing on a Friday night… How can we read and watch these events and think we should ever leave our homes again when something like this could happen at any moment? In typical mom fashion, she lamented her fears and desires to just keep her kids home because schools no longer feel safe either, due to the mass of school shootings our country experiences on a daily basis.

Unfortunately we can’t just hide in our homes for the rest of our lives.  Not only is it not practical, but giving in to that type of fear means the terrorists win.  They want us to fear for our lives every second of the day, and they don’t deserve to succeed in that mission.

Soon after these horrific events were recanted across various media sites and news networks, social media filled with something else… The helpers.  I’d seen a few people share the Fred Roger’s quote about his mother telling him to look for the helpers (posted in the image at the top of this post) a few times, and then they came out of the woodwork.  People started sharing on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites offering shelter for those in or around Paris who were unable or too afraid to make it home for the night.  They tagged their posts with #porteouvert, which means Open Door in French, and strangers welcomed strangers into their homes.  They put fear aside, these people who were right in the middle of this tragedy, and held strong for people who needed them to be strong. These people make my heart swell with pride for the human race.  We may have a few bad seeds that try to ruin it for the rest of us, but there is good out there too-and it shines through when we need it most.

That’s when it occurred to me that if these helpers, who were merely blocks from the pain and destruction could open their hearts and doors for complete strangers without their fear stopping them, I could go about my daily life again without letting fear stop me.  These beautiful brave souls likely changed someone’s life in the wake of their own city’s devastation, and they’ve certainly changed my outlook once again.

Yes, there were the naysayers and people who took time to spout awful things, US politicians and French countrymen alike who appallingly blamed the recent refugees for the attacks on Paris and other countries, but amidst it all-there were people who showed nothing but love and tried to help.  Those are the people I’m choosing to remember through all of this horror.  They are the people who are trying to change the world with love and good deeds, instead of pointing fingers or placing inappropriate or racist blame.  We could stand to have a bit more love and understanding in the world-because maybe if we did-there would be less events like the ones that just happened.

You can be a helper too in this time of crisis-this crisis-even from far away-by donating money to these organizations or others:

French Red Cross – you can donate in English HERE.
Secours populaire française (translation: French Popular Relief) who has stated they will be assisting the victims in France.
Restaurants du Cœur (translation: Restaurants of Love) who donate meals tho those in need.
Doctors Without Borders who will be helping victims all over-not just in Paris.
Donate to help the Syrian Refugees through USA for UNHCR the UN Refugee Agency.

Note: Please be careful when donating money that you are sure it is a real and responsible agency.  There are unfortunately many scams during times like these that can approach you via telephone, text, email, etc.  It is better to find respectable agencies on your own with a little research instead of just responding to a request-even if it seems legitimate.

If you can’t donate money, there are other ways you can help which include:

Donate time/volunteer: Look for local organizations that may be sending relief baskets and join them in putting things together or with labor.
Donate blood/plasma: You may not be located near the situation, but in dire times they do reach out to other countries for things like this-your donation may help, or it may just help locally, but either way-it’s good.
Share: Share links to sites where people can donate and help, or just share these stories to raise awareness.  We need to be held responsible as a culture for our actions and inactions-we need to help the world all around.

Above all, and in conjunction with the ways above that you can help, practice compassion.  If the world just had a little more compassion and acceptance for each other and our differences this kind of thing wouldn’t happen.  Be part of the revolution-not the problem.  Help eradicate hatred, bigotry, racism, etc. by living and voting in such a way that inspires other people to live that way too.  This is the easiest thing, yet so many people forget it or fail at it. Love your neighbor, support other members of the human race, and do everything you can to inspire as much love in the world as you can.  We are all just one world.  All we have is each other.

Sometimes I lay under the moon and thank god I’m breathing
Then I pray “don’t take me soon” ’cause I am here for a reason

Sometimes in my tears I drown but I never let it get me down
So my negativity surrounds, I know someday it’ll all turn around because….
All my life I’ve been waiting for, I’ve been praying for, for the people to say
That we don’t want to fight no more, that we don’t want war, that our children will play
One day, one day, one day, one day, one day, one day

It’s not about win or lose ’cause we all lose when they feed on the souls of the innocent
Blood drenched pavement keep on movement, we don’t wanna stay raging
In this maze you can lose your way (your way)
It might drive you crazy but don’t let it phase you no way (no way)

Sometimes in my tears I drown but I never let it get me down
So my negativity surrounds, I know someday it’ll all turn around because…
All my life I’ve been waiting for, I’ve been praying for, for the people to say
That we don’t want to fight no more, that we don’t want war, that our children will play
One day, one day, one day, one day, one day, one day

One day this all will change, treat people the same
Stop with the violence, down with the hate

They will all be free and proud to be
Under the same sun singing songs of freedom like 
One day, one day

Sometimes in my tears I drown but I never let it get me down
So my negativity surrounds, I know someday it’ll all turn around because….
All my life I’ve been waiting for, I’ve been praying for, for the people to say
That we don’t want to fight no more, that we don’t want war, that our children will play
One day, one day, one day, one day, one day, one day
(Repeat 6x)

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Angie

Angie is a coffee-fueled writer, artist-wanna-be, and over-worker who currently resides in a tiny fixer-upper near Salt Lake City with her boyfriend and 70lb rescue pittie. She works full time in Customer Service/Computers, part-time in retail and fashion, goes to school part-time on and off, maintains this and another couple of blogs, as well as volunteers with rescue dogs. In her free time, what little of it there is, she likes to read, play nerd games, craft and create art, and spend time with all of the awesome people in her life.

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com