Aftermath and sunshine

I have never been more in awe of the human spirit than today. We visited the Brisbane suburbs of Graceville and Chelmer today to help with the flood cleanup. The streets were full to bursting with glove and gumboot clad volunteers sifting through the muck, scrubbing walls, hosing down houses, mopping floors, moving furniture. Most of us were complete strangers, united only by the havoc mother nature had wrought on our home city.

Despite having lost most of their worldly possessions and facing uncertain futures and extended periods of homelessness, the survivors we met were stoic, smiling, grateful and positive. That’s not to say that there weren’t tears. Emotions ran high for everyone. I was certainly unprepared for the ache that I felt as I drove through mud-lined streets, houses stained and dripping, piles of rubbish growing and lining every street. Home owners fluctuated between heartbreak, gratitude, devastation and hope. But, in true Aussie style, the sense of humour remained strong and ever present. One friend apologising that she hadn’t cleaned up before we arrived and another posted a tongue-in-cheek sign “All items here and inside – free!”

Volunteers cruised the streets offering water, food, cleaning supplies, toilet paper and other necessities from the boot of their cars. Even our ex-PM got his hands dirty. More than 22 000 volunteers dedicated their weekend to clearing out the muck and when we were done, swamps looked more like neighbourhoods. There is still a really long way to go. But there is hope amongst the aftermath. And there is sunshine, at last.