Orry's tomatoes

 

A while back, a man came in to work looking for an aged care place for his wife. As we walked, he told me that he had married her, his first marriage, aged 70.

To say I was gobsmacked is an understatement. Orry had stayed single and looked after his mother, finally marrying as an old man.

Orry knocks on the office door quite frequently and he's a lovely bloke but a bit high maintenance (as I write I realise he's probably quite anxious) so when he came to the desk yesterday and said he needed to see me, I wondered what he wanted this time.

"Carly, love, I brought tomatoes for everyone last week but you weren't here so I brought you some today, from the garden. Put them in the fridge if you can, love"

I think I can live with the questions :)

 

The Aftermath

Following the shooting in Bondi there has been a great deal said about the lack of government action and leadership around anti-Semitism. The August 4 "March for humanity" across the Harbour Bridge attracted 90 000 people and I remember thinking I would go and support Palestine if I was a better walker.

Four and a bit months down the track, that very same march is being held up as an example of unaddressed anti-Semitism. Part of that crowd carried ISIS flags, there was a contingent of haters but I think the majority were there to express their desperate hope that the genocide in Palestine would stop.

I wonder what any of us can do to show our concern for the people negatively impacted by the dreadful situation in Gaza, no matter where those impacted people are.

Soon after the October 7 attacks in 2023, I posted a Star of David on facebook. It was there to show support for one Jewish friend who was finding rising anti-Semitism hard going. Some time after that, a young Palestinian Australian, a girl I was acquainted with, sent me a very angry message, not knowing the back story of my post.

I want to say it is hard to know how to show love and support when it is likely to offend someone (else) I want to love and support. I guess taking it away from social media is the first step but I also think that a public show of support is sometimes the most valuable.

My prayers are with them all. I know that isn't worth much but I count on the hearer of the prayers to know what is truly just. 

The other aftermath I am dealing with is the death of my little Sally dog. I only had her for four months but she was a wonderful little girl who stole our hearts. She had an aggressive tumour which took her from her usual happy self to a shell of that in just a few days. Her little tippy tappy toes have gone silent, her sweet floppy ears have stopped their joyful movement and her glorious white coat will never again fill the house with fur.

Shalom, my friends and Alhamdulillah!

   

Celebrating Light after the Bondi Shooting

Just yesterday, our church celebrated advent with the lighting of the peace candle, we looked forward to the celebration of Christmas and the Prince of Peace.

Tonight in Sydney, peace seems far away but let's maintain our hope, let's continue to love, let's continue to seek and celebrate joy.

Attacking on Chanukah is designed to bring the worst possible darkness but Chanukah celebrates the coming of light so lets look for the light and celebrate it.

One hero of the Bondi shooting ran toward danger and disarmed a gunman. That is the light.

A Sydney "pet detective" has volunteered his services to find pets displaced during the attack. That is the light.

The beach has been re-opened and people are returning to walk, swim and pay their respects. Fear has not won. This is the light.

People have lined up to donate blood. That is light. Yesterday I was at a Christmas toy drive. One of the volunteers is an old bloke with dementia. He has good and bad days and yesterday was bad. He was tasked with unwrapping the gifts which had been donated with wrapping on. Somebody included him and that is the light.