Looking after each other

I'm often amazed by the strength and resilience of our young people. The challenges they face today are a world away from the ones we faced ourselves as children.

Today's reality for our young people is so often a landscape of terror, grief and loss. The horrific attacks in Manchester and London in the last few weeks have driven home the message to us all that terror attacks can happen in any place and at any time.

It's a lot to take in. Imagine a child seeing the world through this lens for the first time.

The bombing of the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, in particular, was a premeditated, targeted attack on our children and young people. It brought it all so close to home.

So you'd think the answer for many would be to pull-up the drawbridge; cancel your plans, don't venture out, but instead wrap your arms even tighter around your children to keep them safe from harm in what can sometimes seem like a terrible world.

But the way our young people have responded is an inspiration to us all. Far from hiding, the #OneLoveManchester concert was a fantastic coming together of people to remember those we lost and those affected, and to celebrate love and hope. Their message was clear: we won't be ruled by terror; we'll continue to lead our lives in an open way.

It's an example to us all!

Huge numbers watched and listened to the concert - and even more shared their feelings on Twitter and Facebook. Rather than grief, it felt like a great outpouring of hope and determination to not be defined by this atrocity.

And as for Ariana Grande… she's an inspiration! Before the attack, she was a well-known figure in pop music to most teenagers. She could have become synonymous with the terror attack in the week following the bombing. It could have defined her for the rest of her life. But I believe that this brave 23-year-old will now be remembered for her heroic, humanitarian response to the crisis; by arranging for a public display of love and togetherness - and for raising money for those families affected by the tragedy.

This inspirational response has made me reflect on two things: