They are Victorians in all senses of the word. It was actually nice to be part of a country which could again put on a dignified face and work though some of the pain and shock of the Victorian bushfires as a united group. Even our troops and other Australians overseas have become part of the victorious spirit which is growing little by little each day. It was nice that we created a dignified, but not cold, ceremony for the bushfire survivors. It was really nice to know we had made such a big effort to be civilised and to show respect . It's a good values lesson and a good thing to return to. The bushfires have restored our Australian spirit and we know who we are today and what we stand for. Today will make a difference because over the last 10 years we had lost our sense of who we were, but today we know. I hope the people in Victoria can take some comfort in this. I also hope they will know that even if people did not participate in the ceremony the Victorians and their needs were in all our hearts. People are still organising help and donations and it is a remarkable feeling to be a part of that. I really feel proud to be Australian. About 5 years ago I had a phone conversation with a friend and he was saying to me that he wasn't sure which thing would actually make him leave Australia because he just didn't like how we had become. Well, today, we have become a very compassionate and caring nation which has grown together. We are a nation of about 21 million so we are stretched to the limit with this and yet that kind of pressure and challenge has made us haul hard together and lock in the bonds which always tie us together in this country. We need them there because we still have more heat to come and we shall all be very mindful of this. Today will help strengthen us and give us the courage to carry on.
No comments:
Post a Comment