Survivors of the Black Saturday

Front page story - "The Age", Wednesday May 20th, 2009 - tells of a young family who died in the fires at Kinglake.

This appeared in the paper three months after Black Saturday.

It was painful for me to see the photo of the young mother and her young daughter who died with along with her husband and other child. To see the anguished grandmother. Bereft.

But if it is painful for me to read such articles, how much harder must it be for survivors of the fires to have these reminders of the devastation of the fires?

Or to hear about it on the radio or watch it on TV?

I can only imagine how hard it is.

I wonder if some survivors of the fires are choosing not to read the papers or listen to or watch the news?

From time to time I find myself watching "Neighours" night after night where usually I would watch the news. When I become aware of this, I know that I am overloaded and just can't face the news at seven o'clock on a weekday.

And I think it is legitimate to take such breaks from reality when we are already dealing with enough in our lives.

I am not proud of taking absence from keeping up with what is happening in the world and wouldn't want it to become my normal pattern but I think it is good self-care and wise behaviour to do so at times.

Perhaps it is a modern day equivalent to Jesus rowing his boat away from the crowds and going up the mountain to be alone and to pray.

This weekend I am going to Sydney and this feels like a most welcome retreat for me. Some R&R with my husband, catching up with an old friend and a new one, enjoying Sydney's beauty, a new experience of worship and a bit of connection with Uniting church colleagues. Sounds busy but there will be times for me just to sit and enjoy creation, to meditate and to be still and quiet.

I pray for all of us that there are times of solace and rest inbetween the hard things life brings us. I pray especially for those who went through the trauma of the fires and who continue to do their best to come to terms with that experience and to rebuild their lives.