Shine A Little Light

It's taken me two days to work up to writing this post. In the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires I've felt guilty about coming here to write what I have anything to be grateful for, when so many others have lost more than I can ever imagine.

I am grateful that all my family and friends, both north and south are alive, safe from fire and floods and have their homes intact. I am also grateful that out of the death, destruction and anguish that a family rift has been healed. We've been estranged from my aunt's family for the past 16 years. The fires around the Whittlesea area were the impetus for my Mum to pick up the phone and ring her sister. Now there's a new chapter to look foward to in our family history - when chapters for other families are closing forever.

My heart and thoughts go out to not just the victims of this weekend's fires, but the survivors from Ash Wednesday in 1983 and Black Friday in 1939 - who must be reliving the horror all over again.

Tomorrow I will be going through our wardrobes for clothes and Mr D's room for toys to put with loads of other donations being shipped to Melbourne from Brisbane. I will also be donating blood next week. I am grateful that I have a chance to give something despite being so far away.