When I was a kid I had a favourite cousin. His name was Darryn. At family gatherings we had a lot of fun together - I was a bit of a tomboy and was more than happy to do ‘boy’ stuff like kicking the soccer ball and setting traps to try and catch birds. 18 months or so ago Darryn was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. I was shocked, we are the same age, that could easily be me! What if it was and my time on this Earth was limited, what would I want to do with the time that was left? What have I not done that I really would like to do? Travelling, including a sojourn around Australia in a caravan was what immediately came to mind.
Darryn’s diagnosis was the catalyst for an important conversation. Why wait? Why leave ‘living’ until its end is near? Why not make dreams a reality? And so one conversation led to another and ‘Yurting’ was born.
Unfortunately Darryn had a very aggressive form of the disease and quickly it robbed him of all motor functioning. His courage and dignity in the face of such a cruel disease was incredible. We flew to Tassie yesterday to attend his Memorial Service.
In a few days we are taking the Yurt North to Byron Bay. My cousins disease and ultimate death has created in us a desire for life, to live it fully and now. We are indebted to him.