As an Australian, I’m heartbroken.

As an Australian, I’m heartbroken. I’m sad. And I’m angry. What happened in Bondi is horrifying. Families have been shattered, and I really want to send my love and condolences to those impacted by this. Here’s what I refuse to let happen next. I refuse to let the violent acts of two people rewrite who we are. We are kind. We are loving. We are compassionate. We are one, but we are many. We are Australians. We are strong. And strong doesn’t mean we feel nothing. I myself can feel the temptation to blame. I feel how easy it is to slip into simple thinking , to point, to lash out, and then to harden. And resisting that is brutal. Resisting that is almost impossible, especially when you hear and think about the innocent lives that are impacted. Strong does not mean we feel nothing. Strong means we must resist the urge to hate. My dad often says, “When you eat the fruit, remember those who helped you plant the tree.” My family are only here. I only exist because of love, kindness, and compassion. We’ve been eating from this garden for a long time - the safety, the community, the opportunity, and the mateship in this country. And here’s the danger. In moments like this, if we now start to plant seeds of hate, if we now start to plant fear, if we now start to plant division, if we start to plant blame on innocent people, we will be the ones who destroy our very own garden we’re trying to protect. So how do we move forward? We do what Australians have always done. We look out for each other. We can plant seeds of kindness in real ways. We can check on our mates. We’ll be gentle in public. We’ll stand up when we see someone being targeted. We can plant compassion. We’ll support the families who’ve been impacted by this. We’ll support the first responders. We’ll hold space for grief without turning it into hatred. We will plant strength. We’ll stay clear-minded. We won’t spread rumours. And we will refuse to blame whole communities for one person’s violence. That’s how we protect the beautiful garden we all live in. Don’t let hate be what grows next. Let what grows next be love, kindness, and compassion, and the strength to keep choosing those things.