"I'm terrified, I have never felt so trapped and disappointed before..."
As our province goes up in flames, we all feel a sense of helplessness and disappointment.
What started off as a normal day, quickly turned into a scene from a war torn country. South Africa has always been our pride and joy, no matter what we have gone through. It has been that pillar of hope and courage that always creates a sense of unity.
However, the past few days have really disappointed us. All this as we try to cope with the pandemic, which has thrown such varied curveballs at us, as we adjust to the lockdown and the impacts on our families, our livelihoods, and our mental states of mind. It is absolutely heartbreaking to see what is happening in our country and more so in our province.
As gunshots blazed and the smell of smoke swirled around our homes, we were trying to act calm and brave for our kids. Some of them so small that they don't even know the seriousness of what's going on. For the first time we all feel helpless. That burning feeling of wanting to help but fearing the outcome.
To the many security forces and people that have had to work double, even triple shifts, we feel for you. To those who feel trapped and helpless, just staying indoors and calm is enough right now. Stop and reflect, whatever is happening right now will pass. We have to believe that there is a bigger picture here and we hope that we can pick ourselves up and repair our broken hearts and our cities.
That feeling of being trapped and not knowing whether you are going to run out of food, whether your water is going to be shut off, and whether your electricity will be cut, is the most unnerving thing anyone can feel. But what about those people who are living day to day and never planned for this. What do they do?
As we try to find a way to cope and remain calm, we ask you to be vigilant in sharing fake news, be safe, don't be revved by this behaviour that is currently surrounding us. Stay alert and informed and let us hope for the best outcome.
Let's hope that South Africa can save us from this helplessness...
Image Courtesy of Unsplash