On finding calm in uncertain times

By now you’ve probably seen the news.

A few days ago, the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, and Iran has been retaliating across the Gulf region.

It’s a fast-moving situation, and for those of us living in the UAE, it’s felt too close.

I’m writing this from Dubai, where this period feels different. Not just because of what’s happening, but because of how it’s happening.

We’re not watching this unfold from a distance, on TV or on our social media feeds. We share the Persian Gulf with Iran, and US and UAE military bases here have been targeted as part of Iran’s retaliation.

Geography makes this impossible to ignore. Some of us saw and heard missiles being intercepted in the sky above us (last night we saw it from our garden!).

Families are phoning us. Some of us have loved ones who can’t fly back as UAE airspace is closed. And our kids are asking questions about “bombs” and “explosions” - because they are hearing the sounds and seeing the smoke clouds - questions that we never expected to have to answer.

And yet - somehow - I still feel safe here. The UAE authorities have been remarkable in how they are handling this, and I feel genuinely lucky to live in a place that responds with such calm and competence. That matters. It’s okay to feel that too.

Because panic and anxiety, as understandable as they are, don’t protect us or our families. They just make a hard period harder.

My kids are home on distance learning for the next few days. My husband is working from home too until further notice. And somewhere between setting everyone up and sitting down at my own desk, I found myself thinking about how I want to navigate this period - not just today, but the days ahead.

Maybe you’re thinking the same thing.

Because that’s the thing about being a mum in uncertain times: life doesn’t stop.

There are still meals to make, work to get done, questions to answer, and small people who are looking to us to know how to feel.

What I keep coming back to is this:

We must stay informed, but not consumed.

We must stay prepared, but not paralysed.

And above all, we must stay grounded. Keep things as normal as possible, especially for the kids.

Normal means calm. Calm is contagious.

Our kids are watching us far more closely than we realise, and they’re taking their cues from how we show up.

Choosing not to spiral when the world outside feels like it is, that’s not denial. That’s motherhood.

So during this period, if all you do is take a breath, hold your kids a little closer, and show up gently for yourself - that’s enough.

Take care of yourselves.

With love,

Abha x