It's a small, small world...

Last night I went to a special needs high school fundraiser with one of my girlfriends (the gal currently living life with one hand) My ticket was a thank you but also a favour - and one I was more than happy to grant - she needed a driver and meal cutter-upper! And so it was that we ventured out to the wilds of the northern beaches, dressed up like two princesses on their way to the ball in our most glamorous frocks and high heeled shoes.

The night was MCed by none other than Jonathon Coleman who graciously donated his services for FREE. He was very funny and took my mind back to the good old Jono & Danno days. If you've never heard of them then you're either a) clearly not as old as me, or b) you don't live in Australia where this show was BIG. I'll just pretend it's the latter, okay?

The venue was very grand, and by that I mean grand in a way where you're extra careful walking when there are stairs to negotiate. As in LOTS of them. It was definitely one.step.at.a.time. It's been a while since I wore shoes with heels that high and I had horrific visions of making a total arse of myself by tripping and falling to the very bottom. So not the entrance one wants to make. After accepting a sparkling champagne (I needed it after those bloody stairs!) we found our table and readied ourselves for the night to begin.

And then.... be still my beating heart.

Special needs is an issue very close to my heart (and life) because I deal with it on a daily basis but even so, I hadn't counted on being so emotionally impacted by St Edmund's beautiful KIDS. Oh my God. The kids! They were gorgeous. Engaging. And so full of joy you couldn't take your eyes off them. Within minutes of the evening starting, I was seriously questioning the intelligence of my decision to wear eyeliner. I think I cried three times before we even got to the main course!

I would have loved to have filled ALL of the wishes listed here!

The positivity in the room was infectious. Honestly there should be more of this in people's lives; we'd really be so much better off. There were stories of achievements, milestones passed, examples of special needs teenagers simply being teenagers and doing everyday, teenage stuff, just like neuro-typical ones do. Travelling the well-worn path all teens make to become active, functioning adults with choices and options in life. All those possibilities are still there, ripe for the taking. I wish we had the funding necessary to ensure that ALL special needs kids have access to education centres like theirs. But that rant is for another post. I won't go there today.


The sheer 'joie de vive' I witnessed on those kids faces last night was nothing short of inspirational. I couldn't help but feel hopeful and yes, excited for what's around the corner for H. We're on the cusp of another big change - he starts high school next year - but I'm feeling much more relaxed and optimistic for his future. I can never thank his wonderful teachers at primary school enough.


And while I didn't need any other highlights from the night, there was one more - the gorgeous Kim from All Consuming happened to be attending this same fundraiser, a fact I only discovered after checking my Twitter feed! She was all "WHAT??? Where are you?" Just hilarious. Blogging has opened my life to so many wonderful people and continually reinforces one of the reasons why I love being a part of this amazing online community - you get to meet the coolest people! We took a picture to record the moment, especially as we were wearing our best frocks. God knows when I'll get the chance to dress up like that again.

I'm still short even wearing high heels!

A big, big thank you to my fellow Princess of the night - I had the best time, can't wait for next year! xx


So how was YOUR weekend? Who or what has inspired you lately?