Don't be afraid to live

In the aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport and the tube station, people seem afraid to show joy in living.

There are mass demonstrations to show solidarity with the victims, and lots of people seem to live in fear of more attacks.

Still, is it wrong to say you are not really touched by everything that goes on? When something terrible happens, lots of reactions occur. A great deal of people is affected and will show signs of concern, even fear. But some others can free their minds of what has happened and go on with their ordinary lives. This is not always easy, but actually it is a good way of dealing with a problem.

I'm a hands-on person myself. I always keep a clear head when something happens. Sometimes I think it's a fault in my genes, but at other moments I'm glad I have this capacity. When my father unexpectedly died while having a check-up at the hospital in Aalst, my mother and sister were not able to do anything. I had to drive the car to Aalst, let everyone know dad had died, make all the necessary arrangements, accept the condolences. Not a happy task, but I did it witho, ut shedding one tear.

Also now I can only feel sympathy for those who have family members lost or hurt in the attacks, but I don't feel any pain or fear. I know nobody who was affected by the incidents. Friends of mine who work in Brussels are all fine.

In the meantime, we have cancelled our upcoming trip to Dublin. Aer Lingus offered a full refund of our flight, and the hotel could be cancelled as well, free of charge. No biggie, we only took the trip because we wanted to be away for a couple of days.