I think another reason that I am annoyed by these comments is that in the first few weeks after this started, we wanted to believe the same thing. Things would calm down for a few days, we’d get up hope it was ending and then it would start up again. We don’t let ourselves to develop false hopes any more.

The last few days have been particularly violent. Fewer protests but more looting; and it is organized. Groups show up in pick-up trucks, with the license plates removed (to make it hard to identify them).

There is a terminal called the Intermodal Terminal in the capital where you can access two metro lines, city buses and intercity buses. I have used it many times, the last time a few weeks ago, because my husband works near there. If I have to go to the capital, I go in to work with him by car and then go to the terminal to take the metro. In two days it was completely looted and severely damaged by these groups, criminal gangs, whatever you want to call them. The upper floors have many shops and all their merchandise was taken, along with any furniture, shelves, etc. Camera crews were filming and people were still carrying looted items out. They didn’t even cover their faces. The police only showed up at the tail end of this and arrested the last few looters.

Someone from this forum sent me an interesting link on toxic positivity. It definitely gave a name to what I am dealing with and why just telling people to think positively, everything will be fine is detrimental. Sometimes we do need to express negative feelings.