Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of

St Mary’s School,

Welcome back for Week Five of Term One.

Sometimes its hard to believe how fast time flies. Much has changed for us over the past week with the events in Christchurch.

This time a week ago the people of Christchurch were recovering from the events of the proceeding September where they had experienced significant damage but thankfully no loss of life. Then at 12.51 everything changed.

I have been reading Bert Sutcliffe, the great Otago Cricketer’s Biography and in it talks about the famous test held at Ellis Park Johannesburg where he was hit in the head by South African fast bowler Neil Adcock. He had to be taken to hospital after falling unconscious twice.

New Zealand were losing the test so he elected to return to bat again covered in bandages (in the end a towel was taped to his head). When the ninth NZ wicket fell he was joined at the crease by Bob Blair, no one thought Blair would bat because he had been made aware that his fiancé had perished in the Tagawai train disaster only hours before.

The two batted for a long period and when their partnership was finally ended and they were walking off the huge crowd rose to give a standing ovation. Not for the man who had the physical wounds for in a fit young man wounds heal quickly. It was for the other batsman that they stood to applaud, the one who bore the emotional scars and they take much longer to heal.

With these thoughts in mind we remember today at 12.50pm our friends and relatives from Christchurch and know that like the Phoenix they will rise from the ashes.

Have a safe week.

Mike Brosnahan

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