Can we start 2013 again?

You know how you have those days where you want to ring all of the people that are special to you and telling them you love them? Or is it just me? Today has been the culmination of a pretty crappy start to 2013. It hasn't been that crappy for me really, but for a lot of people around me it hasn't been a Happy New Year. It has been very sad and at times overwhelming, but most of all today I am glad that it's not me - I know that sounds selfish but read on.

Bushfires
As you know I live in Tasmania, in southern Tasmania to be precise. If you weren't aware, we've had a large number of bushfires burning throughout the State, but mainly in the south east. Fortunately there has been no confirmed loss of life yet, but over 160 buildings have been destroyed, many of them around the one township. Given that Tassie is so small, only half a million people, I jokingly refer to the one degree of separation between everyone on the island. It is somewhat true though, so a lot of people I work with know people, are related to people, or have had first hand experience with the fires (and they are still burning).

My boss has been put in charge of planning for the initial phase of the human/social recovery effort, so that means that I've been pulled into all of this as well. This means that I get to be involved in the support effort, which is fantastic, but it also means that there are things I need to think about that make this all the more depressing at the moment.

Loss and illness
That's only one of the things going on at the moment, the other is also associated with loss, but in a different way. Someone at work lost their brother last week in very sad circumstances, someone else at work found out last night that their daughter has bladder cancer (she's not even 30), and today my bosses mother-in-law passed away very suddenly in New Zealand.

There really isn't much else to this post other than a plea to the universe to cut it out! Give us all a break for a little while please, from the natural and man-made disasters. Yes they allow us to (re)discover our humanity, and there are usually very heartening tales of strength and support that come out of them, but seriously enough is a enough. This is really not a great start to 2013, and I'd really like it to calm the hell down.

I hope that your 2013 has started out a lot better than the people around me. And for all of the people who are special to me, hopefully you know who you are, I love you all and I really hope that you are doing well.