A Time to Reflect
Some days it’s just too hard to blog. Yesterday was one of those days. I spent a good part of the day travelling between home and Melbourne (more of that in a later post) but with the technologies so abundantly available to us at our nation’s airports that’s not an excuse.
Rather I spent the day with a heavy heart following the tragic, accidental death of a friend’s 19 year old daughter. Eliza was a beautiful young person with a great future ahead of her. Despite her youth she’d already done and given so much. One of the stories her proud Dad loved to recount with a mixture of horror and admiration was of her riding pillion on a scooter down the Champs Elysee on New Year’s Eve during a student exchange. When choosing a volunteer project for her Duke of Edinburgh Award, Eliza came to my Library, bringing a ray of sunshine with her. She’ll be sadly missed by many, many people.
Last week I attended the funeral of former CSU Librarian and ALIA member Margaret McPherson in Bathurst. Margaret’s death too was totally unexpected. Since her retirement she had pursued her many interests with even more enthusiasm and when I caught up with her late last year she was eager to fill me in on her many plans and schemes. The funeral service for Margaret was testament to the high regard in which she was held in the many areas of her life, and to her love of church music; breathtaking.
Both Margaret and Eliza have gone too soon but they both embraced life with a passion and made their dreams a reality. I think that’s a lesson we can all learn from. One of those fridge magnets I normally eschew has a message I can really relate to “Life is not a dress rehearsal”. Please reflect on that.
Jan
Jan Richards, ALIA President
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