Too awful to watch

Very often, the TV news covers horrible events like bomb blasts, train accidents, and people killing one another. These scenes are replayed again and again so they seem to happen many more times than they actually did. The newspapers too print such frightening pictures. It can get scary seeing them.

You may wonder, “Why do such things happen?”

You may think, “Will this happen to me and my family too?”

It is hard to understand why some people set off bombs and kill people. Perhaps it is because they are raised in a violent way and to believe that violence is the answer to everything.

In your school you learn that there is another way to live — in peace and harmony with one another. You learn how to solve conflicts with one another by talking it out. How to make peace between those who are fighting about silly things. You learn how to accept those who are different from you and how to be fair to everyone, so that there is no injustice.

Watching such events, or reading about them may make you scared to leave home, or be alone without your parents. It may give you a lump in your throat, butterflies in your tummy, or a headache or stomach ache if your father or mother have to travel to these places. It may even make you very angry and want to cry.

In your mind, and in your heart, you know that when you follow a peaceful way of life, you can limit the amount of violence. That even if someone responds to you in a violent manner, you can diffuse it in a peaceful way.

Please remember that our country becomes a safe place to live in when everyone of us is kind to one another. So make it your responsibility to make it a safe, peaceful country.

However strongly you feel, the best thing to do is to talk to a grown up. Talk to them about what you have seen. And how you feel. They will probably tell you that although bad things happen once in a while, life goes on normally most of the time. Shops are open, buses run, people go to work and children to school. Just think…how many days was your school closed because of something bad happening in your city or town? That will give you an idea of how normal things are in your town or city in spite of bad things happening somewhere else in the country.

The next time you are disturbed by horrible pictures, find a nice, quiet spot. If you have a garden or a balcony at home, go and sit there for a while. If you don’t, look up at the sky, and the fluffy clouds as they float by. See how peaceful everything is up there. Now take some deep breaths, and fill your heart with that peace. If you have some soothing music, or songs with nice words, listen to it. Or snuggle into bed and read your favourite book. These activities will not make the bad things go way, but they will make you feel safe.

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