OPINION: When trying to comprehend the enormity of the horror unleashed in the terror attack at Bondi Beach, it's the smaller details - the little things - that catch me in my tracks.
The boogie boards and children's toys and towels.
The drink bottles and sunscreen - all the remnants of beachgoers who'd been enjoying a balmy Sunday afternoon on the sand of Sydney's iconic beach, before the unthinkable sound of gunfire forced them to flee in fear.
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No time to spare.
Everything left where it lay.
Then the care from the same lifeguards and volunteers who had helped the wounded, injured and dying, to gather these abandoned belongings - matching the far-flung shoes into pairs and placing personal items into a seemingly endless line to be retrieved.
The hugs between strangers overcome with emotion while paying their respects at the makeshift memorial that's become a growing mountain of flowers to honour the 15 dead.
The notes and messages left by strangers whose hearts are broken.
The teddy bears for the children gunned down while playing.
The silence of grief and sadness broken by prayer, or a single harmonica playing the tune of Amazing Grace.
The fact these terrorists are a father and son who poured their hatred onto a family gathering of light and joy for the start of Hanukkah.
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And that the dead and injured include those who survived the horrors of the Holocaust, enduring so much, only to have their lives cut short at a supposed place of safety.
The surfboards used to transport the wounded to ambulances.
The surf lifesavers now needing to replenish emergency kits depleted of all medical supplies normally treating bluebottle stings and cuts and bruises - not bullet holes.
The grim acceptance that members of the Jewish community must practice their faith witharmed security guards posted outside temples and synagogues.
That Jewish children must go to schools with barricades and CCTV to ward off constant threats.
The enormous gratitude for the everyday people who risked and lost their lives trying to wrestle the rifles from these gunmen.
The countless lives saved from these selfless acts.
The queuing for hours by those coming forward to donate blood in record numbers, after the Lifeblood booking website was "crashed by care" from people desperate to do something to help.
The flags at half mast.
We are all shocked and saddened by this evil act of terror, but I hope that the meaning of the Hanukkah Festival itself will prevail - and the light will overcome the darkness.
If you have been impacted by the terror attack in Bondi there is support available.
To contact Lifeline Australia, call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14.
For people under 25 years old, you can contact Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800.
Both of these are available on a 24/7 basis.
If you wish to donate blood, you can find your nearest donor centre here.