so blind

This was an email from an australian friend of my mum's who was one of the victims of the recent bushfire:

Hi to all of our friends,

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who was thinking and praying for us, we have had the toughest week of our lives, and today feel that we can start to live again and try to get normal things happening. We have lost many people we know and feel very sad, most of our town is gone, including Holly and Ethans school, kinder and creche. We go into town everyday for the daily meetings and updates and then come home a little depressed as we have to drive back thru desolation. We have highs and lows, but hope with time it will lessen everyday.

Yes we are ok and still have a home, we were very lucky. It was the worst day of our lives and I wouldn't wish what we saw on anyone. The world went black for us on Sat at 5.00 and we weren't sure what to expect, but realize now that a fire front approaching you sounds like your standing next to many 747's with their engines running and the roar is deafening. There was explosions every min with gas bottles and anything flammable blowing up at everyones houses. The street behind us is gone on one side and then everything past that for km's is burnt and piles of houses just burnt to the ground. Our street was burning from all sides and at both ends, if it wasn't for all our neighbours all joining together with our fireplans in place I don't think we would have had the same result in saving our little street.

We Just got the power connected again this afternoon and its great. We have had so much support from everyone and especially from all of the emergency services and power and phone companies. There are literally 100's and 100's of people up here helping us get our services back, I don't think I'll ever complain again to telstra or txu. They have rebuilt a sub station in 5 days, and replaced who knows how many powerlines and poles. Telstra has given us phones and chargers if we need them, The gas bottles are given to us to use, the petrol is filled into our tanks and jerry cans, generators given out as quick as they can. We have also been looked after by many volunteers who have cooked all our meals, given us anything we want and who are just there to listen if we want to talk. As for donations of food and goods, the whole of Aust has flooded us with everything, even if we say we don't really need it, keep it for the less fortunate, the volunteers take us by the hand and start filling up bags of goods for us to take home, so we don't have to think about going shopping for a while. Everyone is so nice.

We are on the way to normality and hope to see everyone again soon. Thank you for your offers of help, we appreciate every one of them.
Thanks again
Jodie and Gary, Holly and Ethan


I just wonder why most people only show the greatest acts of kindness when things are very bad. When its too late. I guess this is what forms Regrets. Knowing, Doing, Trying to patch things up, only when its all too late. You only realize that something was THAT important to you, when you no longer have it.

And i found out something about myself, i cry only when i see sadness inflicted upon others, or when someone does something touching. I dont cry when sadness is inflicted on myself. It all gets stuffed inside me, it builds up, & i dunno where it goes. Maybe people who see it in my eyes suck it away from me. Slowly. Or maybe it just stays there, a part of me.


Memories aren't stored in the heart or the head or even the soul, if you ask me. but in the spaces between any given two people.