Grief tapped me on the shoulder this morning, the memory of pain filled words spoken by my son many years earlier, bringing tears to my eyes. In 2012, my adult son Warren was hospitalised for depression and anxiety. As I sat beside his hospital bed, he shared the words that pierced my heart, ‘no one wants me’ he said. Is there anything more distressing than seeing your child’s pain and loneliness but being unable to …
In the summer of 2007 I contracted a cruel and demoralising disease. After being afflicted with a nasty bug I then developed pneumonia and glandular fever and following that I was eventually diagnosed with Acute Post Viral Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Fibromyalgia. One day I was active, healthy and loving life. It never occurred to me that the very next day I could wake up sick and feel like I would never be healthy again. …
From the outside, we looked like a typical family. My parents still live in the house I grew up in. It’s a typical Australian house on an average suburban street. The early years of my childhood were spent playing in our neighbourhood with friends and my brother and two sisters. Church was a very big part of my family’s life. My parents were both involved in leadership and so much of our social life revolved …
I was eight when my mum got sick. Watching her battle stomach cancer was devastating. It was the 1970’s and her cancer treatment was harsh, aggressive and ultimately unsuccessful. I was only 11 years old when she died. Six weeks later I started high school. It makes me sad that I have very few memories of my mum other than her illness. When she died I felt like a part of me disappeared forever. My …
I was born in rural NSW in 1952. As the youngest of my parents’ eight children I enjoyed a more relaxed upbringing than my siblings. Whilst my older sisters helped my mother out in the house I was allowed to shadow my father around the property. Everything about my father was larger than life to me, his strength, stature, confidence and especially his humour. I was definitely daddy’s little girl but growing up on a …
