We have been here in Australia for over two weeks now. I have not had time to write until this morning. It is Wednesday morning for me and Tuesday afternoon for most of you. What I need to comment on is, Love, Courage, and Miracles is an ongoing story. The final chapter of the written book was inspired during my last visit here in May 2023. We quickly re entered this Aussie world where our daughter Anna and her family lives. It is easy when we are here after we adjust to jet lag and the time change. Remembering each time we have traveled here it is all familiar. We redo our steps from the past to visit “Bunnings” and enjoy a sausage sizzle lunch at the outside vendor. The Aussie blokes have an array of sausage on the grill along with their friendly Aussie banter. You have a choice of bread, bun or no bun and grilled onions to go. This is one of Zoe’s favorite stops. She devours her sausage with sauce and a grin that says mmm, mmm, mmm as we sit on nearby steps. My favorite thing to do is going to the Op shops as mother and daughter looking for treasures. Thrift stores here have a great supply of potential treasure. One’s trash is another’s treasure as they say. We also went to the store where I found the Aussie floral design tea towels I bought last year and I love in my American kitchen. And we walked the shore at Campbell’s Cove looking for sea glass. This is my little Australia that is close in with Anna and her local world.
And her courage and determination…
Anna’s newest medical challenge is the treatment of mycobacterium abscessus. This requires a lengthy treatment of multiple IV antimicrobials. The discipline to administer these drugs precisely every day for 18 months is a daunting task. It is piled on top of her CF care, transplant care, multiple other health issues, ADHD, being a mum, a wife to wonderful Terry, having a home and trying to have a life that has joy and treasures to find. Whew, it is exhausting at the beginning of the list and beyond imaginable as you come to the end of the list, but she is doing it. Anna is used to being pushed to the edge. As mom I want to take it all away as I always have but been powerless to do so. We can help around the edges with tasks that need to be done but she has zero time for. Watching, supporting and living each day as it comes.
It is all about our growth and spiritual point of view….
The Melbourne area has had a huge birthing of white butterflies this summer. Everywhere you see them. They collect around and love this purple status that grows in the neighborhood. I left my butterfly project at home to come here and constantly be reminded about what is waiting for me back home. But here these butterflies also seem symbolic for what this family is going through. Butterflies struggle to transform from catepilars to these beautiful creatures that delight us as they fly by. Transformation, change and healing take struggle. As I grew as a mom and a woman with a daughter with cystic fibrosis I used the struggle and difficulty to understand myself, my transformation of growth and maturity.
I see Anna and Terry also continuing to grow through this time to be more of their spiritual selves as they go through this. It takes Love and Courage to find and create Miracles and butterflies. I see this happening, it is all so hard, truly. It is a major life threatening challenge to go through what Anna does, but as she and Terry meet what is in front of them they climb out of their cocoons and are lighter, or at least their understanding of why they are going through what they are going through gets lighter. It has meaning. It is an opportunity for personal growth; touching themselves and each other in a deeper way and developing faith that it is all as it should be. This is a good world. We are all grateful. This season of the white butterfly is a sign. One of those encouraging signs. We struggle. We breakthrough. And they will too.
Love, Courage, and Miracles has survived its “cold read” and more edits. What a process! Won’t be long until it is finally published! As I said I will let you know when! I am planning my book launch!