This Thursday marks the eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, which occurred on 8th May, 1945. The war in the Pacific was to rage on for another three months and was only brought to a conclusion with the dropping of atomic weapons on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.  The Second World War resulted in a devastating loss of human life. Estimates vary, but it is thought that up to sixty million people were killed. Many of those who lost their lives were civilians and they fell victim to aerial bombardment, famine, imprisonment, disease and many other depredations associated with the pursuit of total war. Anti-Semitism led to the genocide of over six million Jews and many other minorities were also persecuted during this period. Over five million German soldiers died during the Second World War and the bombing of cities such as Dresden, Hamburg and Berlin resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians. When the guns fell silent, it was estimated that there were seven million more women than men in Germany. Such was the cost of the war. 

Parents often love to tell anecdotes about their children, and when you are the child in question that can often be embarrassing and occasionally enlightening. Apparently, my most used phrase as a toddler was “I will do it by myself”. Now, read into that what you will but I am afraid that I know that this phrase rings true for me as an adult as much as it did when I was a child. I hate to feel incapable, I can be terrible at asking for help and I can be quite obstinate about receiving and responding to advice. I have a sense that I should authentically own the decisions that I make and that I must be capable enough to look after myself in all situations. 

After graduating from Rossall last year I decided to take a gap year and spent 10 weeks volunteering with children in Arusha, Tanzania. I am beyond grateful for every moment of this adventure, since it allowed me to learn so much about the lives and the culture of the people there. It was truly the most eye opening and at the same time most challenging experience of my life.