We are Australia

I don't have any words to express how I'm feeling about what we as a nation have witnessed this week in Victoria. I've run the gamut from utter shock and despair, crying over what I'm seeing on my tv and in the papers each day, to feeling so full of pride for the way our country pulls together and rallies in times like this, that 'battler' spirit so beautifully shining through, and again, crying over the beauty I've seen rise from the ashes.

I'm a do-er, especially in times of trouble, and whilst I can very easily give money, I feel compelled to be *doing* something for those affected by the fires - and from experience I can tell you that the effects of disasters such as this are far-reaching beyond what we realise. I can send clothes and toys, but the lovely Sarah has organised a project with the aim of helping to restore some physical memories for the families affected in the way of collecting 12"x12" scrapbook pages and creating albums, in a bid to replace a tiny part of what people have lost. The equally lovely Tatia at Paperstash is collecting pages for South Australia, so please, if you have some time, make a page and send it to your local collection point.

I know paper and 'stuff' can't fix anything, I know it's not going to make anything better for the families who have lost so much, but I pray it will give them hope in re-building, in knowing that they're not in it alone, that whilst we're far away and not directly affected by the fires, we as a nation stand with them in their shock and mourning, because as cliched as it sounds, just like the song says 'we are one, but we are many'.

I would also urge those who can to donate blood where and when they can, not just now but ongoing. Whilst Victoria's banks are at an adequate supply level at the moment, treatment for burns victims is an ongoing process, and more blood will be needed in time to come. Of course, the bushfire casualites aren't the only people needing blood, I firmly believe this is something we should all support on an ongoing basis. I know from my work first-hand just how life-saving donor blood really is.

And I can't post this without praying for the flood affected areas of Queensland, it boggles my mind to see our country so severely affected by polar opposites of extreme natural disasters, and
I pray we as a nation can help with their rebuilding.

It's times like these when I am especially proud to say We are Australian.