Splashing in the waves at the beach,
The sound of cicadas,
The glorious smell if it rains,
BBQs with friends,
Beach cricket,
AND the threat of bushfire.
This weekend Australia has suffered it's worst natural disaster ever.Most of us have thought of little else for the past couple of days.The news just gets worse and worse. So Far 107 people have lots their lives and hundreds more have lots their homes and all of their belongings.There are no words to describe the sadness and how sorry for them we all are.
For many years I have had a trunk in our lounge room which holds our important documents and treasures. That is now too big to fit in one trunk & too heavy to carry if we should need to so I really must get to it & sort it out.We live in an area that would be tricky to get out of if bushfire was approaching. The first glimpses of smoke for the Summer make you consider these things.I must always try to keep at least a half tank of fuel in my car. I am terrible at that. I dash to the petrol station with the car close to empty quite often (yes, I know it's bad for my car).
I must brag that my brother is one of our country's heros. He spends his Summer fighting bushfires, saving homes and lives. I'm so proud of him. Here is a photo of him that was in the Victorian 'The Age' newspaper a few years ago.
Please send you best wishes and prayers to those who are affected by this disaster.
Our hearts are with you all. xx
p.s. I will not discuss the animals who light these fires. They do not deserve my wasted breath!
3 comments:
I've been working all week at the diamond creek commnity centre, where there have been so many volunteers, that it makes you proud to be an aussie. With only 1 pkt of cereal left on Wednesday, we put out the call for help and when I left a 3pm, there would have been about 2000 packets. Not from multi national companies. but from people like us dropping in bags at a time. Blokey blokes with 6 packets tucked into a back pack, kids who arent at school because they are too sad. It was an unbelievable show of support from local community. It's very hard to pack boxes of food when you are trying to see through your tears, not just from sadness but from feeling so proud that everyone is pitching in. So important for all of us to keep this up for the long haul, even giving up a day or 2 every week for as long as they need it. Mattresses spread along entire stadium where people are sleeping, even after offers of accomodation they have politely refused, cos they all want to stay together. Families walking in 4 days later with no shoes on, too proud to come and get them earlier. It just breaks your heart.
Every time i even try to talk about the fires i cry. It has been an awful few weeks here and like Jules i am so proud to be an Aussie. People are amazing, one of my friends who has lost her house in Kinglake was at Whittlesea on Monday to try and organise some funds. On her way back she was talking to her mother in-law about how upset she was and how K-Mart have done a "back flip" on the $500.00 per family donations, they were also discussing how she will have to wait a few weeks for the funds to hit her bank account. As they talked about this a lady behind her stopped her and handed a $130.00 Gift Card for K-mart, and all my friend could do was cry, she was so overwhelmed by this beautiful gesture from a total stranger!.....when my friend told me today i got off the phone and just cried and cried. People are amazing! Aussies are amazing!
Yes girls, Aussies certainly are an amazing bunch!
I am gobsmacked everyday by what I hear.
Are you still going to be here on the 15th of March Abbs?
You will see first hand how hard we have been working here for all of those poor loves affected by the fires.
So much is going on all over Australia. Those of us further away are finding ways we can help from afar.
On Saturday a local truck co parked in town and people came & filled it with items for them to deliver to Victoria. Awesome!
Post a Comment