MOST of today was spent glued to the television as the devastation from the 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch continued to unfold.
I sat cuddling my little baby girl Holly as words like “we may be witnessing our darkest day’’ and “I’ve never been so frightened in all my life’’ came from the TV set. I was thankful three-year-old Princess Ella was in child care.
As a journalist, there’s a fascination with watching how people react under such extreme circumstances. But I didn’t watch this as a journalist. I watched it as a mother.
My heart bled as I saw battered bodies pulled from buildings, listened to the quivering voices of terrified eyewitnesses or caught the sheer emotion on the faces of ordinary folk walking amongst the city’s debris. Even the newsreaders voices were shaking as they tried to deliver the news. As a viewer, that cuts deep.
What I felt most though today was a feeling of helplessness. We spend our days nurturing and protecting our little ones, so there’s a natural instinct to want to help others. But, for now, we can’t.
It’s not the first time this year I’ve felt this – there was the Queensland floods and then Cyclone Yasi.
All I can really do is keep my beautiful, innocent Princess Ella from being exposed to such devastation. Maybe, for now at least, that’s enough.
My thoughts are with all those in Christchurch.
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It really is hard with kids. There seems to be so much hardship going on atm – and this just tops it off. I worry about the girls getting an unbalanced fear of bad things happening. For this reason I didn’t watch much of the coverage today. I’m not sure if I did the right thing – but how do you know?
It’s a tough one, Caz. At what age are they able to handle this sort of thing? I really have no idea. I imagine it would be different for each child too. I’m sure, as mothers, whatever we choose to do will be what’s right for our child.
After just returning from Christchurch four days after the earthquake it is sad to think of such a beautiful city destroyed and Lyttelton Harbour is just gorgeous. When I was there two years ago I visited the cathedral and as a genealogist it is so sad to think that this part of their history is destroyed. You are right children don’t need to be exposed to this devastation they will see enough of it in their life time.
Sad indeed. It must be surreal, knowing you were there only a few days earlier. Our thoughts are with all those in Christchurch and anyone who has family or friends there.