July 7

A warm summer day, the sun roasts the earth, and the streets are nearly empty when I leave my apartment for the nearby park. From a distance, I could see my friend, who was already sitting on one of the benches in the shade of a large, old tree, reading some papers. He was apparently so immersed in his reading that he didn't notice me approaching and was startled when I greeted him.

“Guess what day it is?” he asked when I sat down next to him.

“My birthday?” I asked mockingly. I already knew what day it was, but I wanted to see how far he would go.

“No, it’s just July 7,” he said, deadpan.

I laughed. “I know that; I was just joking.”

“And I was being sarcastic,” he said, rolling his eyes playfully.

We settled into a comfortable silence for a while, each lost in our thoughts.

“Do you know why I asked you to meet here today?” my friend asked, breaking the silence.

“No, why?” I asked curiously.

“Because today is July 7,” he said, as if that explained everything.

“I know,” I said, “but why is that important?”

“You don’t know?” he asked, looking surprised.

“Apparently not,” I said, shrugging.

“It’s the anniversary of the 7/7 bombings in London,” he said solemnly.

I was silent for a moment, letting his words sink in. I had, of course, heard about the 7/7 bombings, but I had never really thought about them in depth before. It wasn't something that I had ever given much thought to previously.

“I had never really thought about it before,” I said finally.

“I know, me neither,” he said. “But I think it’s important to remember these things. We can’t let the terrorists win.”

“You’re right,” I said. “We can’t forget what happened.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in our thoughts. I thought about the victims of the bombings, and about the families and friends who had been left behind.

We sat there for a while longer, talking about the bombings and about the importance of remembering the victims. I left the park feeling a sense of sadness and anger, but also a sense of hope. I knew that I would never forget what happened on July 7, and I would never let the terrorists win.

In the aftermath of the 7/7 bombings, London was united in grief and defiance. The city came together to support the victims and their families, and to show the world that terrorism would not divide them.

Today, we remember the victims of the 7/7 bombings. We honor their memory by standing together against terrorism and by working to build a more just and peaceful world.

Call to action:

Please take a moment to remember the victims of the 7/7 bombings. Let us all work together to build a more just and peaceful world, where terrorism has no place.