About Us
(L to R) Tracey, Susie, Bec, Larissa, Natalie, in front Lisa, Linda and Shannon
We are mothers, who became friends through sharing the experience of first time motherhood.
We are also midwives, teachers, managers, psychologists, travel agents. We are executive assistants, sales reps, waitresses, educators, pharmacists. We are travellers, students and home-builders and became nurturers, dreamers, do-ers, writers, singers, dancers, actors, chefs and chauffeurs.
Mums.
Something shifted in the universe that day, meeting each other through bleary, weary eyes, at a local community health centre. Our lives were already changed by the introduction of our babies into our lives, understanding what unconditional love, sleep deprivation, the unpredictability of poo, and the irrationality of crying babies really meant. And yet, our lives changed again that day. Our futures were forged, and irrevocably merged. All our first time experiences shared, discussed, gasped and giggled at, our homes and lives opened up to this new life we had created in our babies, and in ourselves.
In the years that followed, more babies for some, but not all, the sharing continued. Group first, second, third birthdays, group Christmas parties and fantastic fun family weekends away. Friendships deepened, and it became impossible to remember a life before, without each other.
For us, the universe shifted again in the early months of 2009. Hilarie became ill. Her condition finally revealed itself after months of tests, pain, uncertainty and change. And then finally, there came the day we discovered the awful, sickening, truth: our darling Hilarie, the girl who gently steered our group into trying new activities/places/foods/places, the girl whose house and heart was always open, had a brain tumour. Grade 4. Terminal.
Her diagnosis was devastating to all who knew her, but no more so than to her family, especially her husband and son. As a group, we felt the weight of her illness almost physically amongst us, and with that weight we felt fear, sadness and great, huge helplessness. We loved Hilarie so much, it was hard to accept this stomach churning truth. As the reality of what the future held for Hilarie became part of us, new emotions crept in for us. Hope. Help. Support. None of these emotions could over-ride our fear and sadness, but somehow we discovered that we could infiltrate the emotion of helplessness. We were going to do SOMETHING.
And so our mothers group evolved again. A flurry of meetings, of late night talks, emails, texts, ideas, web searches, suggestions moved us forward into Hills Angels. We had a mentor group ( Lions and Lionesses of East Gosford ) a logo, a motto ( Help Involves Love Laughter and Support ) and an overwhelming determination to raise money for Hilarie’s sons future.
