@verbivore,
Oooooooh, Vegemite… I know how terribly difficult everything is for you and I can only give you the words I said to S-Man on his 18th Birthday…
If
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son.
Rudyard Kipling
With thanks to J.P. McEnvoy's - Inspired by Rudyard Kipling's Poem "If"
"If you can hear the whispering about you,
And never yield to deal in whispers, too;
if you can bravely smile when loved ones doubt you,
And never doubt, in turn, what loved ones do;
If you can keep a sweet and gentle spirit
In spite of fame and fortune, rank or place,
And though you win your goal or only near it,
Can win with poise or lose with equal grace;
If you meet with unbelief, believing,
And hallow in your heart a simple creed,
If you can meet Deception, undeceiving.
And learn to look for God for all you need;
If you can be what girls should be to Mothers;
Chums in JOY and comrades in distress,
And be unto others as you'd have the others
Be unto you-no more and yet no less;
If you can keep with in your heart the power,
To say that firm, unconquerable "NO";
if you can brave a present shadowed hours
Rather than yield to build a future woe;
If you can love, yet not let loving master,
But keep yourself within your own self's clasp,
And not let Dreaming lead you to disaster,
Nor pity's fascination loose your grasp;
If you can lock your heart on confidences,
Nor ever needlessly in turn confide;
If you can put behind you all pretenses
of mock, humility or foolish pride;
If you can keep the simple, homely virtue
of walking right with God- then have no fear
That anything in all the world can hurt you-
And which is more- you'll be a woman, dear."
MaMaVerby – you are strong – I know you are strong and you can, and will, get through these troubled times. Your little man – Hboy – loves you as his MaMa, Eby loves you as his wife, you Father loves you has his daughter. You are so much more than just a MaMa, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend – you are our Vegemite and you are a good and strong young lady who has followed her dreams and you aren’t going to give up now. We don’t give up, we get on with what we have to and no matter how difficult and heartbreaking it is right now, your heart will keep on beating strong inside you and whatever happens, the next day will dawn.
I know there are lot more issues that a few simple words cannot make it better – things we spoke about all those years ago; I know you and I know it’s not possible to fix everything you are going through – but you WILL get through all of this and you’re not alone. When you feel that tightening in your chest and feel you can’t breathe – close your eyes, breathe long and deep breaths and remember that all that is past, has been – you have got through such tough times before and you will come out from the other side of all that is going on – it’s going to be a long hard road but no journey is easy – take just one day at a time and believe in yourself, the person you know you are… and as our Noddy would say… Hold Your Dominion! Trust in who you are – don’t let anyone take your heart and soul from you. Keep your faith in all that you believe in and don’t waiver from doing everything you can to find the posivibes from within.
For the moment… I shall pass you a two 'bare' feet life jacket so you can float for a while
Love love (((((((((((((((((((((Vegemite))))))))))))))))))))))))) – feel the crews arms around you… know Danny Boy is watching over you too and you are never alone, even when you may feel you are treading water, talk, shout, this crew is always here to listen. Foreign shores up Bethie’s way will be fortunate if all goes well… and we can sail you there. xxx
not to forget Dutchy 
