Saturday’s cloudy skies gave way to sunlight this Sunday morning.
Life in Paris continues to surprise me by just how “normal” it seems.
I took the metro to the Place de la République to pay my respects at the monument in the middle of the square, where mourners have been gathering since yesterday to light candles, lay flowers, pray, cry, and embrace. This is the very same place where Parisians gathered after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January. The statue that towers above them represents freedom.
Crowds of Parisians, tourists, and journalists filled the square. Newsvans with large satellite antennas encircled the area. Police with rifles watched vigilantly.
These two women knelt down and lit incense, the sweet smell filling the cool air.
What struck me most were the displays of warmth and love even amid the sorrow. A young couple embracing caught my eye.
“Life goes on,” reads this sign.
We are proof of that.
