Sunsets, birds singing and the sound of her children laughing are some of the things Joanne Ball-Burgess continues to enjoy every day, almost 13 years on from the terrorist attacks on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, that killed 71 people and injured hundreds.

The Bermudian was living in the capital city with her family when she was caught up in the atrocity on September 21, 2013.

September remains trying — this year even more so, with the 25th anniversary of 9/11 resulting in mass media coverage of terror events.

Ms Ball-Burgess called for people to show “love and kindness” and live with “grace and hope”.

She said: “September is a sensitive month for me for a number of reasons. I usually ask my friend group and close family to give me extra grace.

“Thirteen years later, the grass still looks greener and I have a greater gratitude for life.

“At that moment, I remember that that could have been taken away. Unfortunately, for many people who have experienced terrorism that could have been taken away.”

Four masked gunmen from the Somalian-based Al-Shabaab terrorist organisation targeted non-Muslims in the attack, throwing grenades and peppering the upscale mall with gunfire for hours in their battle with police.

Ms Ball-Burgess hid with others for hours in a bathroom while the attack raged.

“For a lot of time I experienced survivor’s guilt”, she said.

“A year later, there were many people who had died of suicide, because they couldn’t deal with survivor’s guilt.

“You never know how the grief of that experience will creep up on you.”

On some days, the mother of three forgets that anything happened — while on others a loud noise or bang will bring back haunting memories.

Ms Ball-Burgess called on the community to show more empathy when it comes to the subject of mass tragedy.

“Even today people say to me, ‘you’re the girl who was in the shopping mall with all those bombs’.

“To bring that up, possibly the worst day of someone’s life, is not a fun conversation.

“We need to speak with empathy and love with empathy.

“I still don’t like to talk about the details if someone asks me about it. Once in a while with a close friend, something will remind me of that day.

“For the first time in 13 years I actually Googled some of the images and news articles from the Westgate Mall attack. I was not able to do that for all this time.

“I had a longer conversation with a friend about that attack. I even considered where were the people who I was hiding with.

“I was in touch with one lady who, while we were in the bathroom, lost her son and mother-in-law. She wanted to stay in touch and I couldn’t.”

The political communications officer, who is also a dancer and author, and worked as a dance judge in Kenya, had a conversation with her two older sons last week about the events on that day.

They were watching the TV as the attack took place and never considered that their mum might not return home.

Recalling the event, Ms Ball-Burgess said: “I remember thinking, ‘if life’s going to end for me here — it’s been a good life’.

“The thing that gave me the energy to get me out of that mall, while gunshots were rattling, was thinking, ‘I want to be there to raise my children’.

“Rattling gunshots outside the bathroom for hours and hours. It can take away your hope.

“The impetus for me was wanting to raise my children. In three years’ time I had another.”

She added: “In the world there are many tragedies that happen and the world will for ever change by it.

“My feeling is I hope that when these things happen we don’t become more distrusting of people but we become kinder to humanity and we each recognise that many of us are dealing with issues and no matter what issues are being faced.

“We show love and kindness to everybody and we continue to move through the world with grace and hope.

“In that way, that’s how we heal collectively. That’s my wish for myself and humanity.”

“Kenya still feels like home. I have some beautiful relationships there and beautiful memories,” Ms Ball-Burgess reflected.

“I’m still thankful for the opportunity that I had.”