Update.

Finally an update. so much has happened since i last posted. wheatbelt fieldtrip, parents 25th anniversary, family reunion, friends becoming engaged, and married, family's birthdays, friends passing away, world cup, church opening, just for her womens conference, clean room, uni stuff, family stuff, ups and downs, lefts and rights... A friend of mine passed away few nights ago. I've known her since i was about 8, and yet i haven't seen her for two years. for two years i never made time for her, i never bothered to call to say hi. i guess we take for granted the people around us are gonna live for as long as we are, and we can catch up with them anything its convenient for us. i was there for her when her mother died, and when her cat died, but not her. two days before she passed away she was asking after me. and i only just remembered that her current cat, Li Li, is named after me. Helen Hillary lived a life different from most of us. She had polio when she was a young child, and spent the rest of her life in a wheel chair. She could not run bare foot in the grass when we could. she could not climb a tree when we could. she could not swim at the beach when we could. she could not sit with her legs outstretched in front of her and watch as she wriggled her toes. these things a lot of people take for granted. esp i. she reminds us of how truly blessed we are, things that we regard as normal everyday things, she could not have. but yet she was a strong person. she managed to drive. to shop. to go out to the movies, to make friends. to live by herself with a cat (after her mother passed away). to garden, to wash and clean, to get her wheelchair painted red then have me cover them with cat stickers. i know that everyones time must come, that death is inevitable and we have no control over it. although i am upset that she is not here anymore, im more upset that i made no effort to be with her, and now its too late. the most painful thing is that i don't know whether she has a relationship with God or not. hopefully from now on i will not take people around me for granted. i want to cherish and appreciate every person i meet, and have some kind of influence in their lives. even if this means getting a smile out of them, it'll be worthwhile. it feels so much better getting all this out.