Dear Friends and Family,
Tonight, the 13th of January, we party. Why, you ask? Simply because the people of Brisbane have been holed up with a crazy natural disaster that has taken place over the last 72 hours. But really, it's been raining for almost 6 weeks straight. We are currently surrounded by flooded areas. It is impossible to get anywhere due to road closures. Supermarkets have been stripped of food and water in anticipation of being stranded at home for the next 4 days or so. Most businesses have shut down for the next 4 days or so as well depending on how badly they were affected by the floods. People have lost everything. They are tired and sad. However, the human spirit is an incredible force and proves that you can prevail in the worst of situations. Many of the people partying right now have been affected by the floods. In unexpected situations like this its normal to sit around and sulk, but then you have to move on and start picking up the pieces. This party is meant to be the start of just that for a lot of people with us on this night. I'm in love with the city of Brisbane so it breaks my heart to see it so destroyed and more so to see the families that have lost their homes and businesses. They will clean up and rebuild though. It is amazing to see the rebuilding process start even before the disaster has ended. The government has already paid out 17 million to people in need of relief funds. Several Facebook groups have been created by Queenslanders to provide support and offer temporary housing to people that have been evacuated. The process of picking up the pieces and rebuilding is already in action. Resilience is a brilliant quality to possess, and in the toughest of times it's beautiful to witness.
Resiliently yours,
Jillian aka Jilly, Jillypet, Jillybean, J-Dilla, J-Bones, and sometimes Crab Cakes
