Today marks a week since the inhuman terror attacks in Paris that shook the world and sparked chaos within the French capital. No words can describe the shocking scenes that took place on that fateful night, however a lot can be said for the stunning reaction of togetherness seen throughout the world during the past week, which has been quite simply beautiful.
Last Friday’s events were terrible to see and deeply saddening for the entire human race.  Innocent people losing their lives, families losing their loved ones and people losing faith in the existence of good honest people.
The week that has followed has been imperative in restoring that faith all over the world.
It’s impossible to change what happened, sadly time cannot be reversed. You’d like to think we have control of the future but in the grand scheme of things, we will never be fully in control. Why? Because as human beings, we rely on each other and although you make the large percentage of decisions in your life, others will always have a part to play along the way.
We must stand for something. Refusal to lie down during tough times is what shows the beautiful character embedded within our personalities as human beings. In the past week, hands have been linked, faith has been shared and the worldwide effort to pull in the same direction has been refreshing during a week of remembrance.
As the lights went out in Paris, the rest of the world became brighter. Cities all over the globe lit their streets in blue, white and red, beaming the French flag onto famous monuments to show the French capital they’re not alone.
Social media was taken over with messages of support, profile pictures were painted with French stripes as the overwhelming reaction to what happened in Paris continued to develop throughout the week.
Following the attacks, England’s international football friendly against France was expected to be cancelled, however the French FA showed strong signs of resilience and refused to let the tragic scenes stop the country moving forward. The game went ahead and a breathtaking tribute took place at Wembley Stadium.
Blue and White shirts were weaved around the centre circle for a minute’s silence, joining as one to show solidarity between two nations and to pay respect to those people whose lives were tragically taken. English supporters were encouraged to learn the French national anthem that was played before the game, adding another fine touch in response to what happened.
Donations have continued to roll in during the week, towards aid services such as The Red Cross, who help in emergencies across the world and support families that are directly affected. The Twitter hashtag #PorteOuverte which means ‘open door’ has been used to offer shelter to anyone in need of help, by people who are willing to open their homes during this time of crisis.
The attack in Paris showed the dangerous potential we as humans possess, but the week that has followed has shown something far superior and more powerful. When times are hard, the only way to fight back is by pulling together and standing up for what we believe is right.
The beautiful response to such a barbaric attack cannot turn back the hands of time, however it’s shown the overwhelming amount of good people on this planet and the collective strength when the world joins together as one.
Kieran Cleeves
