One good turn...

MOVING out of the rental last weekend was a job in itself. Throughout the course of the week leading upto it, we'd had countless offers of help but not wanting to put anyone out, we said we'd be right...

And I thought we would be, what with me having most of the week to fill boxes, take them round to the new gaff, unload them, go back, fill some more, empty some more, fill some more... But as the week progressed, I was becoming increasingly despondent at the job ahead, that of cleaning the rental within an inch of its life in order to get the near on $2,000 bond back.

The oven had to be cleaned, so did the floors, the walls and inside the cupboards. Not forgetting the grout in the showers, the weeds in the garden and the bird muck off the windows. I set out with good intentions of a job well done but after hearing the horror stories of the hundreds who don't get back their bond due to a streaky window pane, I was losing hope ... and fast.

There's nothing worse than spending three full days cleaning a house that you're not going to live in. I couldn't even sit back and sniff the cleanliness that the eucalyptus oil had provided because I was back 'home' and the thought of cleaning that one simply filled me with dread.

So, we completed the mighty task on schedule and to say thanks to a handful of friends, I repaid their favour by helping out at their cancer charity stall in one of the local shopping malls. Our position was just outside a supermarket where the hordes of human traffic got their hands in their handbags to give and I noticed one little girl in particular eyeing up our charity merchandise.

She came over with two hands full of coins and her mum. For her 12 bucks pocket money, she didn't want the latest doll or trading card game. She wanted to buy a pink teddy and a pen and I wanted to put her on a fundraising pedestal and show her off as an example of how beautiful and considerate children can be.

It was also heartwarming for me to hear that the instigator of this fundraising achievement was the 12 year old daughter of one of my friends. She decided to apply online for a stall and help raise money in the fight for breast cancer, together with her close friend from school. On the day, they exceeded their $1,000 target and continue to add to the total, pushing up any expectations of each and every one of us.

These youngsters are our fundraising future and I find, for them to be so heartwarmingly giving in their fledgling years, inspiring in itself. Well done girls. Long may it continue.