I am, at heart, an optimist.
But there are times when having a positive outlook, and maintaining it, is a challenge.
With Brexit, Trump's appointment, the recent election, terror attacks and now the terrible fire in the Grenfell tower block, I'm struggling.
The fire has just made me so sad. I keep saying I can't imagine what the victims, their families, the firefighters went through, and it's true, I can't. But it hasn't stopped me trying, and that's what's making me sad.
I look at the responses of some of our politicians and it's all so cold. I wonder if they are so far removed that they can't even try to imagine what it must have been like, or whether there's an emotional barrier they're maintaining to prevent the thoughts from entering their consciousness.
The raw anger and hurt makes complete sense and the contrasting, composed demeanour feels alien.
This should hurt and it should make us sit up and listen. Sometimes, being sad is an appropriate response.
