Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Tomorrow we begin Tara's rehab (or pre-hab as Lizzie calls it since it's the therapy bit before her op). We've been preparing the girls for the pre-hab all weekend - talking about how Tara will be sore after the op, that she'll have a stump and not to expect the new leg to be put on for a few weeks (thanks Christine!) and that it'll take her a while to learn to walk again.

We're all going to rehab together and gonna do as much of this as we can as a family rather than Tara not having her sisters to share in the experience. Cas wishes she could be in the operating theatre - she's fascinated, whereas Jadie couldn't think of anything worse - but she's really excited that she's gonna be able to help by massaging Tara's stump (which is vital after the op to best prepare it for the prosthetic fitting).

The Australian girl, Gill Hicks, who had a double amputation after being caught in the July 7 bomb blasts in London talks in her book "One Unknown" about how healing it was for her to visit her severed legs after she was discharged - so it'll be interesting to see what the therapists in rehab suggest for Tara - right now she's very keen to be able to see her leg afterwards. Of all her body - her Leggie Loo - and particularly where the bend is, is the part of herself she loves so much. Luckily she's healthy enough to love her entire body! But it is so great that there's never been a resentment or negative feeling about this part of herself. She's embraced it and known that this is how God made her and she, and we, would never have wanted her to have been born any other way. One of the greatest inspirations for Tara has been a 'mermaid' girl in South America who appeared on Oprah - this little girl's legs were fused together when she was born - and her dad just spoke with such love about her and how special she was, how God had individually designed her and had a plan for her etc. - and Tara really took that on board about how lucky she was and is, and what a gift she'd been given.

So the real work kinda begins tomorrow - rehab, 2 weeks of Tara taking the medication to diminish the effects of phantom limb pain, the op and rehab after that.

It's been a fantastic weekend getting ready for it - a friend of ours, who's travelling through Africa at the moment, spent Friday night here with his daughter (he's taken just a quick detour to Australia between west and east Africa!) - lovely night, many conversations.

And Saturday night was similar - talking till deep into the night over fab cous cous Tone made - with Jeff and Jen. And then today - Sunday - the girls all had birthday parties and play dates with gorgeous school friends all day - so we'll drive to Brisbane tomorrow, coming from a very happy place...and ready and willing to go to this new exciting place...