Remembering Them 100 Years On...

ANZAC Day is a day to reflect... We raise a glass not only to those who have fallen in battle but also to those who lived through the horrors of war and survived, reliving those horrors for the rest of their lives...

I admit that I have never worn the army greens, born arms in the name of Australia. I don't know what it would be like to stand side by side with other Aussies and Kiwis facing a common enemy. I have no clue what it would have been like to land upon that famous Turkish beach with the bullets whizzing through the air around you... All I know is that I am thankful for the sacrifices of those men that century ago and just as thankful to all of those men and women who represent us on any warfront anywhere in the world.

So far from home
So far from friends
A day at the beach
Is this the end?

Brothers beside you
Bullets fill the air
Orders to claim the next ridge
Will we make it there?

So hot... Chaos
Orders make no sense
The ANZAC spirit drives us on
Leap the barbedwire fence

How many mates?
Which bullet was meant for me?
How much longer before it comes?
Death's day by the sea

I hope that your ANZAC day was a thoughtful one... A day of quiet reflection... A chance to pause for a moment and wonder how, why, what if... A moment to be proud of those who raised their hand so long ago and proud of those who still raise their hand today...

The Greatest Show on Earth

We have recently had the pleasure of taking our three little ones to a few performances marketed at families, Disney On Ice, movies like Home and Big Hero 6. Nothing compares to Lennon Brothers' Circus. The kids were so excited as we drove along Port Road in Adelaide and spotted the big top on the horizon. I must admit my own inner child also did a bit of a leap of joy! That was just the beginning...

To be sitting a mere meter away from where the lions would stroll into the centre ring, to see a young man with so much spark and confidence (and what looked like a severe lack of common sense) tackle the Ring Of Death and almost lose, to see tiny donkeys leap over a camel's head, not to mention the acrobats twisting themselves about.. So eye opening... Such amazing performances each and everyone...

Yes I am proud that we took Master 9, Miss 7 and Miss 5 to see such a truly amazing performance. I cannot remember if I ever saw a circus as a child... Though I would be surprised if my Dad and Mum never took my brothers and I to one. What I hope is that this experience I have shared with my kids they will have the chance to create again when they have kids of their own...

Let the magic live on...