During the fourth post-cyclone week I slowed down, appreciated the air conditioning and wrote a children’s picture book text – a cyclone story! Joe kept organising and doing farm recovery work but was sleeping after lunch when possible.
Following that our lives seemed fairly normal superficially (unless repair work was going on in the house) but our emotions remain closer to the surface and we need more sleep. Work on the house was completed late September but Joe worked the cane season without one decent farm shed. Foundations for two new sheds are being poured today.
Watching nature cover her scars with green leaves and bright flowers is solace for us.
We try not to show it but we both have more ups and downs than is usual. I know we require a little more recovery time. We need to be gentle and tolerant with each other and with our traumatised community.
By Pam Galeano
A video about Pam and Joe, who are pictured above.
After Yasi 