President’s Message

Autumn is upon us and it is such a beautiful time of year.  The changing colours of the trees and the slightly lower (and perhaps more tolerant) temperatures make it such a wonderful season.  The sad disadvantage of Autumn being that Winter is just around the corner, something that before Australia became my home, I had no idea how cold it could get, which for a young lad raised in Yorkshire (where I was encouraged to play rugby in a foot of snow) seems a little strange.  I am sure I have got much softer as I have grown older. 

 The changing seasons though are a timely reminder that nothing in life stays the same, even though we would like it to.  That for new life to begin, the cycle of birth and death has, and will continue to go on for an eternity.  As parents, siblings and grandparents, we are all so acutely aware how things, life, can change in the blink of an eye – with an anticipation that the world should stop turning in light of such catastrophic events ….and yet, the world continues to turn, the sun still shines in the sky and the seasons continue to change and so we put one foot in front of another and continue on our journey, carrying the heartache, memories and love for those no longer physically with us.

I have often heard others being hesitant about change, that they would prefer the status quo and remain comfortable with their own little part of the world – but I have never felt like that.  As with the seasons, I have tried to embrace change, to see the opportunities and grow as a result. Everything has its’ season and there’s a time for every purpose under the sun. I remember when I migrated, how people said I was brave (which I never believed) because in reality, I came from a British background to another fragment of the once British Empire. Now having lived the majority of my life in Australia, I have grown and become something very different from the man of my youth and I continue to grow and change (and age!)

 But how I struggle with one big element of change in my life: the loss of my child.  How can I see anything in my loss that I can embrace, that helps me to grow?  Well, I think I have discovered something from my loss.  I never knew so much love existed in me, until it was snatched away.  I never appreciated every moment, until there were no more moments left.  I never cherished the smallest of memories, until there were no more memories to make.  I never appreciated the voice of my child in the quietness of my mind, until that voice was no longer a daily thing.  I have grown, but this time, I wished I hadn’t needed to – but I know that my youngest stays with me, because I share those changes with her as she helps me to grow and to go on.

I hope something here resonates for you too.  Our children remain with us – always – even as we change.

Chris