Written by Lizzie Macaulay
I want to tell you about my friend Leanne.
Some of you will know her as one of the founding members of the Alive team.
Others as the indefatigable front of house face of Paolo’s Pizza Bar in Torquay.
Others as a friend, teammate or colleague.
Others simply as ‘mum’.
Or ‘Glammy’.
Leanne has always been one of the most effervescent, hardest working women I know. Quick with a story, a comforting word or a pearl of wisdom to share, Leanne’s gift has always been her ability to find the silver lining, even in the darkest rain clouds.
Her love affair with words opened the gateway for her to tell her soul’s story, and has always offered all of us a richer experience of the world for the privilege of receiving them.
When I first met Leanne, she was working on a Masters of Professional Practice in Creative Writing, and tinkering with her masterpiece.
And for most people, you would think this would be enough to take on in a day, but no, Leanne isn’t most people.
By day she was either studying or working at a solicitor’s office, and by night she was on her feet, welcoming us all to the restaurant she and second husband, Paolo, established together – a landmark in our tight knit community.
She’s always been the type of person whose frankly astounding work ethic has only been exceeded by her warmth, kindness and vivacity.
Over the ten years I’ve known Leanne, I’ve watched her tackle every new challenge as an adventure, never seeing a potential barrier as a reason to stop, but as a reason to try even harder.
She has been the rock and guiding light for so many around her, especially her daughter, Rebecca and grandson, Xander who live here in the Bay alongside her.
And so…
We come to the point of all this effusive detail.
As much as complimenting Leanne comes easily, I’m actually here to share some more difficult news with you all.
The woman we all know and love so dearly is facing her biggest challenge yet.
You see, early last year, Leanne began to notice some strange happenings with her cognitive function.
Blips in her memory, and even more painfully, her words.
After extensive investigations, she was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma – a wildly aggressive malignant brain tumour that has impacted, and will continue to affect, her language centres, memory and general ability to function day-to-day.
Worst news of all, there is no cure.
To say this is a devastating diagnosis would be the mother of all understatements, yet this is the reality Leanne is facing.
The natural instinct when discovering this news lends itself to the notion of ‘fairness’.
How can this be fair?
How can someone with so much still to give and to achieve, to nurture and to teach be the one to endure this?
Someone who has survived so much – from escaping domestic violence, to nearly losing her child to addiction, to simply remaining dutiful to others and allowing her own passions to wait?
The fact is, fair has nothing to do with it.
Cancer is indiscriminate, whether you have grand life plans, or haven’t even had the chance to make them yet.
Some of you reading this might be feeling that same sense of injustice that I felt when I heard the news. Others might be feeling concerned for her, or even quite helpless.
Some of you might even be compelled to consider your own mortality.
And all of those reactions are perfectly normal and reasonable.
There’s no ‘correct’ way to process grief, or fear of the unknown.
All we can hope to do is take the lessons life’s challenges are there to teach us and actually learn from them.
Or, as Leanne has always done, find the silver lining, however faint.
For Leanne, this accelerated timeline has meant she’s finally published her masterpiece – a novel titled ‘Chekhov’s Mum’, under her nom de plume, Darra Dawn.
She’s soaking in the sunshine and sea air as she makes the most of her time with the people she cherishes most.
Most importantly, she’s still here with us, and beating the odds every day.
While it’s not Leanne’s responsibility to conjure up any particular philosophical point of view about this most difficult of life experiences, I think we can safely say any or all of the following:
Today, and only today, is your chance to take the risk, try the new thing, say the words you’ve been too afraid to share.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us (even if you’ve made rock-solid plans!).
We don’t know what lies ahead, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t act with great courage and honour what’s truly in our heart of hearts, lest we miss the opportunity.
To Leanne herself, I say thank you.
Thank you for being my friend.
Thank you for the big heart to hearts, for sharing your sparkle with me, and for showing me that passion and adventure are essential components of a life well lived.
We love you, Leanne.
The final word on the matter?
Be vivacious and shine bright in life, just like our Leanne.
We are all so privileged to have you in our lives.
https://www.amazon.com.au/Chekhovs-Mum-Darra-Dawn/dp/B0CZJFVGS9
