Who do you turn to?
Waking to the news this morning of the atrocities of the Manchester attack I wanted nothing more than to roll over, go back to sleep and wake up in a safer world.
Like most of you, this was just not an option. The few moments spent dancing around kids and husband gliding through our morning routines seemed less choreographed than usual but ever more precious. Thoughts of children, young adults, parents, grandparents and friends who had lost loved ones seemed to linger in the air.
Once out the door and down the street my path was blocked by a police cordon. Pedestrians and traffic were being kept a safe distance from the suspicious package found at Victoria Station. Thoughts of my loved ones on their respective crowded tube journeys and memories of July 2005 overwhelmed me.
Finally arriving at work I was confronted by yet another crowd, this time outside the FOCUS office. Much to my relief the crowd was made up of musicians and technichians who were staging a music video to be recorded later in the afternoon. It was not long before colleagues filtered into the office and morning routines began. While time was spent trying to deal with the news we had all woken to, the necessity of work was soon a distraction. Hosting the final career workshop of the season and hearing about attendees pending interviews created a happier buzz. The busyness of the day continued as the magazine editor arrived with an agenda to get through and a volunteer came to work with the director of marketing. Before I knew it several hours had passed when I had not thought about the events that marred the morning news.
I am so grateful for the distractions of my day and the friends and colleagues who provide much needed comfort in the recently all too frequent times of distress. I know I am lucky to have this network.
For all those new to the country with a sparser network of friends in the UK please remember our office is full of people just like you. Give us a call, stop by or send us an email!
02079377799