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It
is a rainy day in Newcastle that I find myself sat at my desk, casting
my mind back to sunnier days travelling with my best friend in Australia
and of the events which have unfolded since.
The
vast difference between the two settings leads me to reflect upon
the transient nature of life which is constantly changing, transforming
into something new, whether we wish it to or not.
What
started out as an amazing adventure was transformed into a heart
breaking tragedy and out of this tragedy something else has developed,
Caroline's Rainbow Foundation, which aims to help young travellers,
like Caroline and me, who find themselves in difficulty when far
from home.
The
importance of the charity is obvious by its practical nature and
yet the concept of something so wonderful emerging from such a terrible
tragedy is a complex issue. Being a thoughtful student of philosophy
it is something that I have spent a great deal of time thinking
about!
Those
of us who have experienced the death of a loved one know that we
cannot cast from our hearts the pain of a loss but we can find peace
from something won.
This
is not to say that we should attempt to transform loss into a joy,
or tragedy into meaning as this is merely an avoidance of pain.
Tragedies
do happen and we can try to discover a reason and imagine how our
lives would have been had they not occurred, but none of this is
important.
They
did occur, and from there onward we must begin to rebuild our lives
anew. We carry on living, making use of the lessons we learn from
such experiences.
The
Rainbow Foundation is an outcome of the lessons learned from knowing
and losing Caroline. It is an expression and an extension of the
love so many felt for such a special person.
I would
always encourage anybody to travel, should they feel the desire
to see the world, and not to be put off by the fear of being so
far from home.
This
is why I feel the reassurance of knowing that there is a caring
organisation offering practical help and advice is so important,
because it will help young people follow their dreams.
Caroline
lived every day to the full and she always followed her heart. Because
of the courage to pursue her dreams, combined with her cheerful
and positive outlook, Caroline had no regrets in life, something
she told me whilst travelling.
I think
Caroline's life can serve to be an inspiration to so many young
people. To live as she did would be to live a full and happy life.
And
if Caroline's life serves as the inspiration, then the Rainbow Foundation
can act as the bridge to achieve this joy by offering practical
assistance and advice to allow young people to live the life they
truly want to as safely as possible.
Please
support BBC North Yorkshire's Follow the Rainbow Appeal which aims
to help young people to protect themselves whether at home or abroad.
Sarah
Holiday
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