THANKS FOR INSPIRING ME

Who or what inspires you?

When I was a child my grandfather was one of my favourite people in the whole wide world. He was a teacher and possibly one of the smartest people I ever met. My grandfather inspired in me a love of books and many a time I would sit on a stool in his study, reading something from his collection, while he prepared for another school day. Reading opened up a world I never knew existed.

I literally devoured books and read many, years before I should have. I remember being especially in love with any book about the British Royal family - not today's lot but kings and queens with really strange habits like cutting the heads off subjects who upset them. It was fascinating as where some of the words used. I remember the word concubine intriguing me, but nobody would explain what it meant!

Equally fascinating were books about crime. Initially Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple ( good old Agatha Christie) were at the top of my list and I remember being so engrossed in her books that I would finish them in a day. As I grew older crime writers like John Grusham became more my thing. The more blood and gory details the better!

Of course as I grew up, inspiration came from other avenues. In 1975 after having survived cyclone Joan, in our new Australian town of Port Hedland, I remember being inspired by some of my teachers. The cyclone had flattened our school and though lessons were obviously cancelled, I remember walking through the school in shock. Teachers were crying and it wasn't till I became a teacher myself that I realised the enormity of what they had lost. I was broken hearted to see my teacher so upset, so I organised some kids to help me collect whatever damaged books we could find. I thought this would cheer him up.  All of these teachers had done great things for me since arriving in Australia and that inspired me to do good back. The books were so damaged they were in fact useless but the look on my teacher's face when he realised what his " kids" had tried doing for him, stayed with me for a long time. It is so true that we can inspire others to do good, if we speak to them and treat them with dignity, as this teacher did.

As I grew older and became a teacher I was often inspired by students who passed through my classroom. I remember a 14 year old girl who returned to school after becoming a mother. She didn't want to be merely a statistic. She inspired me to climb back up when I'm knocked down. I remember a young man who told me he would become Australia's first indigenous prime minister. He has goals and a plan and he's well on his way chasing his dream. What a lesson for all of us, to chase our dreams , not live a life of regret and to realise we have the world in our hands.

When I entered a phase of my life where health issues started to drown me, I became inspired by the
condition I was diagnosed with. I know this sounds odd but it's true. I made it my mission to learn as
much as possible about Cowden's syndrome, so I could stay on top of it, not vice versa. I became proactive in my care and thanks to my thirst for knowledge was able to avert a disaster or three. Through support groups I met many people who carried the same faulty gene. Their stories and
experiences only added to my knowledge and  truly inspired me to get on with it and not let the
condition define me.

And finally I want to mention my children. They are amazing young women and I'm proud to be their mother. What these girls have been through in the last eight years is more than anyone should have to go through in five lifetimes. Despite my health issues and their own, they continue to plod on with life and reach for the stars. In June the eldest daughter will finish her undergraduate degree. Not bad for someone who's had 16 brain procedures in three years. She has fought and continues to push forward. My younger daughter is also a fighter. She's  had to witness both her mother and sister be seriously ill and yet she still works hard pursuing a career on the stage. With all the stress she's gone through, many would have just have called it quits, but not my girl. And to top it off, despite a morbid fear of hospitals ( who can blame her) she swings into action when needed in a medical emergency.There's inspiration right there. Remember the saying, "Feel the fear and do it anyway"? That's my daughter.

And that's where I'll leave it today.

Tell me who or what inspires you? I'd love to know.

Till next time...xxx
ST