Woman and Child First

Losing A Child

The death of a child. This surely must be a parent's darkest hour. But people have gone through this, survived and gone on to live rich, meaningful lives.

 Christian's Beach is a website that offers solace to those who have lost children. After the death of their son, Christian, the website owners (CarlyMarie and Sam) struggled to make any sense of it.

Then one night, CarlyMarie dreamt she saw her son playing on the beach with some friends who had died. When she walked toward the group, they ran away but as she approached the spot where they had been playing, she looked down to see "Christian" written in the sand.

She decided to write his name for herself in the sand and then photograph it. Her family still gain much peace from seeing this picture in their home.

On the request of a grieving parent, she will write their child's name in the sand, on a gorgeous West Australian beach, and photograph it for them.  Memorials can also be created. 

I think it's one of the sweetest idea's I've heard for helping people come to terms with an extremely painful and unique form of grief. As Carly Marie writes, " It is a simple act that recognises a life." 

An act that can give a sense of not only peace but something quite individually beautiful.

 

Sisterhood by Kate Wilson

Sometimes I find myself almost panicking about the media's narrow and twisted portrayals of young women, the sexualization of girls and the backlash against women that it all represents.

 I caught up with a precious friend from high school on the weekend and spent a number of moments panicking about it again. Chris assured me I would work it out.  

Another dear friend  Maree sent me this link today. I'm comforted, reassured and inspired by this. There are more of us than a tiddly wee few who want sharper awareness, change and guts shown by and for women.

A heartfelt and very strong poem performed by Kate Wilson:

 

Kids Biz, Asteroid Close Ups and National Geographic

Next time I come here, I will reincarnate as a National Geographic photographer. 

But until then, can I refer your attentions to the website please - it's packed to busting with fabulous material - and in particular the bits for kids.

Oh and the games, for bigger kids as well. Hey but the photographs, some of which can be downloaded as wallpaper, are just grand.

A New Lease on Life

At first, I'm talking about the revival of Woman and Child, this blog. It's been underground for sometime now and I'm bringing it back for a new lease of life.

I'm also talking about how often we all need to resurrect our own lives after some loss or "death". It's happens over and over and throughout all the years. The death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, marriage or friendship, the loss of a home or job: dashed hopes, lost dreams.

The good news? That for all the pain of loss, the self doubt and the hurt, there is after midnight, after dawn...the new day. There is never only death. It is always, always followed by new birth.

So here's to the reborn Woman and Child First - one of my great loves has been re-ignited! And here's to the nature of life - beginnings always follow endings.

Please enjoy. I know I will.

Photo from Wit of the Staircase- of course.

Art Monthly Australia

There has been a lot of media attention here recently around issues of child images, "corporate paedophilia" and art. Bill Henson's exhibition was shut down in May before it opened due to including images of a naked 13 year old girl.

Art Monthly Australia (July Issue) has just released it's July issue. The cover is shown. It's a current subject of controversy.

The girl's father has defended the whole thing by saying that we are inadvertently encouraging a "higher level of repression" by not embracing this as art. "We have art to liberate the mind.." 

 I agree repression is problematic and that art (can, though no guarantee's) liberate the mind.

The girl's father goes on to say that he has a fear: "That artists will desert the field of childhood...and I think that is going to be a really sad cultural development for this country".

The girl's father is a wanker. The only sad cultural development we have to fear is that this dickhead gets any more media attention. Please someone lock him in a cafe in Darlinghurst for the next 50 years.

This whole defense is really about how "interesting" and "artistic" the girl's father is when he gets in front of a camera, certainly not about the beauty of childhood. The girl herself gets little to no airspace. I hope this link shows you what I mean. Press Conference.

Mr. Incredibubble And He Is!

I found this on my new favourite blog Hoyden About Town. It needs to be seen by every living person. What a guy!

(Note to self: Get red cape, 20 litres detergent and two long sticks).

The Arrival: Me, Ben and Shaun Tan

My curiosity whetted, I nailed the local librarian and came home with this book.

Whooee. This guy is a REALLY GOOD DRAWER.

Believe him when he says his drawings are 'visually complex'...and 'for older readers'. I was stumped by the sequence of pictures and hey I'm really old.

My really young (9 year old) son said when I showed him a page:

                            "I don't get it".

Ah hee hee, I love kids. However, The Arrival is a darkly beautiful  depiction of a migrant experience with an almost breathtaking visual imagination behind every frame. I will continue to seek this man's work out. He's very very good.

Girls Into Women

"Are we are losing the war for girls' self-esteem? We are fighting the media, popular culture, teenage stresses and peer pressure for the minds, values and habits of our girls. Girls' self-esteem plummets around age nine:

• Girls face depression twice as often as boys by age 15.
• 20–40% of girls aged ten have started dieting.
• Girls as young as 10 confront "teen" issues such as sex.
• Eating disorders among the most common mental health problems in girls.
• Low self-esteem leads to dangerous sexual behavior.

The good news is that despite these pressures, parents have more influence on their kids than they think." - article from NYU Child Study Centre.

I always love to read that last sentence. Let's be positive and firm with our girls. Let's show them how it is to live as a strong and self-determined person. They need that from their parents now more than ever. This article has some good reminders about creating confidence within our daughters.

The strongest messages come from us, their parents. This is good to remember!

Andy Warhol in Queensland: The Silver Factory

This is a picture of my kids, Anna and Ben, taken at a photobooth that's part of the Warhol exhibition at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane until 30 March.

They became bored with the main rooms (filled with Andy's paintings, films, and collections that he'd made - Oh I so could have spent another hour there) but they adored the kid's section.

Apart from this photo experience, there was a chance to have their "15 seconds of fame". You can sit down in front of a camera and then 15 seconds later see yourself on the wall in beautiful black and white film, slowed down.

There was also a drawing spot where you could display your own art.

And of course, Andy's "Silver Clouds" - a room full of silver balloons.

High quality children's experience that I loved as well.

GoMA Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane.

Resilience

I went to a really inspirational gathering today. The large room was full of primary school teachers. There was an Australian psychologist out the front who was smart, tuned in and really funny. Lots of laughter filled the room and oodles of head-nodding.

His name is Andrew Fuller. He runs a private practice out of Melbourne for kids, adolescents and families. He's written a number of books. He works with/in a lot of schools.

He was talking about resilience training for the young. He mixed it up with current brain research. Spent the best part of 2 hours inspiring the desire in everyone to become more resilient themselves. Suggesting that the best this to do is to become more like who want to be - first.

Then the kids will get it. Perfect simple psychology.

Here's a sample. He said there are four rules (to remember, to teach):

1. Anything is possible

2. Nothing is easy

3. When things get difficult, remember Rule No. 1

4. If something looks easy, remember Rule No. 2

He also advocates encouraging "Big Hairy Audacious Goals" again, for all of us. I really enjoy being a psychologist when I see another one being so damn good. Check his site out, buy a book or resource. He's great.