Reading about what happened in Vancouver truly breaks my heart. Nine lives lost, just like that, because someone decided to drive a car into a crowd during a festival. A moment that should have been full of happiness, laughter, music, and memories instead turned into tragedy, pain, and tears. How does something like this even happen? How can a person be so full of anger, or hate, or madness, that they would destroy innocent lives without a second thought?
It feels like the world has become a much scarier place. Or maybe it’s always been this way, and now we just hear about it faster because of the internet and the news. Either way, it’s terrifying to think that you can be out there living your life, enjoying a beautiful day, and then in a blink, it can all end because of someone else’s evil actions. The thought that you could be walking, smiling, dancing—and then lose everything because someone decided you didn’t deserve to live—it’s unbearable to think about.
I feel sorry, truly sorry, for the victims. They didn’t deserve it. They were just there to have a good time, to be part of something beautiful and joyful, and their lives were cut short without warning. I think about the families, the friends, the people who loved them, and how their worlds have been shattered forever. It’s not just the ones who lost their lives; it’s also the ones who survived but are injured, traumatized, scared. Some wounds you can’t see. Some may never heal fully. A simple day turned into a nightmare they will never forget.
Sometimes I wonder what has happened to people. What drives a human being to become so heartless? How do they lose their compassion, their empathy, their basic humanity? There are so many sick minds walking around, carrying anger or hatred or sickness inside them, ready to spill it onto innocent strangers. It’s terrifying because you can’t always tell who they are. They might look normal. They might smile at you. They might be standing next to you in a crowd, and you wouldn’t even know the evil they are capable of until it’s too late.
Living here in Germany, I know we are not safe either. We have seen similar tragedies, heartbreaking stories where people lose their lives because someone chose violence over peace. Attacks in cities, attacks at festivals, attacks in schools—there is no place that feels completely safe anymore. Sometimes it feels like nowhere in the world is untouched by this madness. No country, no city, no little corner where you can say with full certainty, “Nothing bad will happen here.”
It’s unbelievable that there are people out there who are not afraid to kill. They don’t care about the life they are ending, or the families they are destroying. For them, it’s a moment of rage or hate or twisted purpose. But for the victims, it’s everything. It’s their future, their dreams, their relationships—all stolen in a second. It’s horrifying to know that one person’s choice can leave so many shattered lives behind.
When I hear news like this, it makes me want to hold my loved ones closer. It makes me want to appreciate the little moments more because you truly never know when it could be the last time you see someone, the last time you laugh together, the last time you say goodbye without realizing it’s forever. It sounds dramatic, but when you see how random and sudden these tragedies can be, you understand just how fragile life is.
I also feel anger. I feel frustration. Why is the world like this? Why are there so many broken people who choose to hurt others instead of healing themselves? Where is the respect for human life? Why is it so easy for some people to turn violent? There are no simple answers. I know that. But it doesn’t stop me from asking.
It’s so unfair. Life is already hard enough without adding senseless violence to the mix. People struggle with their own problems every day—work, family, health, money. They fight private battles we don’t even see. And then to be hurt or killed by a stranger’s madness on top of all that? It’s just too much.
I think about the fear too. After hearing stories like this, how do people feel safe again? How do you go to another festival, another public event, and not look over your shoulder every second? How do you trust that you’ll be okay? Fear slowly seeps into your mind, your heart. It’s so sad because events like festivals are meant to bring joy and togetherness, not terror and heartbreak. Yet, here we are, wondering if it’s even safe to go out and celebrate life anymore.
There are no easy solutions. I wish there were. I wish there was a way to catch every dangerous mind before they act. I wish we could heal every broken person before they explode into violence. But we can’t always predict these things. And that’s part of what makes it all so terrifying. You can be a good person, do everything right, and still be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
I don’t want to live in fear, but some days, fear feels stronger than hope. Some days, you can’t help but imagine the worst. Some days, every headline feels like another crack in the world’s foundation. And even though I still believe that most people are good, kind, and want peace, it’s hard to ignore the fact that some people choose evil—and that their choices have devastating consequences for everyone else.
Maybe that’s why we must keep speaking up when these things happen. Not to spread fear, but to honor the victims. To make sure their stories are not forgotten. To remind ourselves and others that human lives are precious, and that every time a life is stolen, it should break all of our hearts a little. Because becoming numb is the worst thing that can happen. When we stop caring, when we stop being shocked, when we accept this violence as normal—that’s when we really lose.
I wish I had a more hopeful ending for this post. But some days, the world feels so heavy that it’s hard to find the silver lining. I guess the only thing we can do is to continue being kind, continue choosing empathy, and continue fighting for a world where tragedies like the one in Vancouver are not just another headline.
We can choose not to be like the ones who cause pain. We can choose to be healers, helpers, protectors, even in small ways. Even if we can’t stop every evil act, we can make sure we are not adding to the cruelty of the world. We can love more, forgive more, listen more. We can show kindness where there is anger, hope where there is despair, and courage where there is fear.
And we can mourn the victims not just with sadness, but with a promise: to live our lives fully, kindly, and bravely. To never take a day for granted. To honor them by making sure their lives, however short, mattered to more than just the people who knew them. Mattered to all of us.
The world is scary. There are sick minds out there. But there are also good hearts. As long as we have that, maybe there is still hope for us all.
