As I walked into the city today to meet my fabulous mother and sister for a spot of shopping, I saw a young girl busking, but I was in a hurry to meet them so I didn't pay much attention to her.
However as I walked back to work I really noticed her. She was young, maybe 10, playing the guitar and singing just beautifully. As I went by she was playing the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah". She was fantastic, her playing was great and her voice lovely.
But the thing that really made her special was the sign she had propped up in front which read "Hi, I'm Lucy. All proceeds will go to the flood appeal". She had obviously painted the sign herself and her guitar case was brimming full of coins and plenty of notes. I would guess she had made several hundred dollars for the flood appeal.
I am so proud of this country of ours and the many ways that people have helped with the disasters unfolding around us. From the stories of the thousands of volunteers turning up to help clean in Brisbane, to the businesses and community groups fundraising, to individual efforts like Lucy's where she gave up a day of her school holidays and her busking income, Australians have been overwhelming in their generosity.
But I do have an extra space in my heart for kids like Lucy. It isn't easy helping a cause as a kid, lets face it you don't really have access to many resources beyond your own ingenuity. So seeing a kid work out a way to do their bit is just that extra bit meaningful and reminds us that we can all contribute to making this world a better place.
This is a fantastic country and as distressing as events have been recently, it has also gone to show just how strong, resilient and community minded we really are. Well done everyone!
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