A Way Forward

 This week Australia put to rest one of the saddest losses this country has ever felt: the murder of 13 year old Daniel Morcombe. Daniel’s parents have been inspirational in their approach to his disappearance. In the nine years since he was abducted and his remains found, the Morcombes have invested their time, money and energy in raising the awareness among school children of the issues surrounding stranger danger so that Australian children have a safer place to live. They have channelled their fears and desperation into a positive cause, helping others, so no-one else need suffer like they have. Their devastation is something that none of us with our children by our side could ever understand, yet in that emotional state, they went one step further and went to the aid of others.

 At Daniel’s funeral this week, Bruce Morcombe, Daniel’s father, said "Do we dwell on what we've lost? Or accept the space that we are in and try and find some positives?" Exceptional words at a time of exceptional loss. It seems these are the words that have kept this family intact and moving one step ahead of the other every day.

 That they lost their beautiful son so near to Christmas makes the loss that much harder, for every year, while others celebrate an event that is marked for a month, the Morcombes must come to accept their loss over and over again.

 So what can we do to honour them and ourselves? It’s very simple. We show our gratitude for what we have and most importantly, who we have: our children.

Does it matter that your ex is still causing hassles? Does it matter that work annoys you? Does it really matter that so many small things irritate you? On a daily basis, I’m sure it does. But if you step back and look at the larger picture, these things really just don’t matter. They are small blimps in the scheme of things. The most important are our health and our children. Deeply value them both. Squeeze them both close to your heart and never let go. And remember to say thanks, because with both your health and your children, there is always a way forward.

Vicki Morrison is the founder of Mothers Moving Forward and the author of the children's picture book, So Shy.