DAY OF MOURNING  Sydney  JANUARY 22 nd  2026.

 

“Et lux in tenebris lucet, et tenebrae eam non comprehenderunt.

“”The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not seized it.”  Mozart

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“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”  Martin Luther King

 

“The sun never says”

— Hafez (Khājeh Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī), Persia (c.1325-1390)

Even after all this time
the sun never says to the earth,
“You owe me.”

Look what happens
with a love like that –
It lights the whole world!



Thank you to Dr.Stephanie Dowrick 
for her New Year initiative of the poetry and photography. 

Hafez Shirazi (1325–1390) was a 14th century Persian poet. Persian .

He is regarded by Iranians as one of the highest pinnacles of Persian Literature.

His works are often found in the homes of Persain speakers who learn the poems by heart

over the centuries and use them as everyday proverbs and sayings. 

 

Our candle from Darkinjung land
while on holidays.

Mitzvah is an act of kindness, compassion and a moral responsibility. 

A simple act of kindness.

Fifteen suggested Mitzvah for the 15 people lost in the Bondi attack

1. Give to others – donate to organisations in service of others.
2. Uplift the sick – visit someone who is unwell and offer support.
3. Help those who have helped you – perform one small task to help your parent or older relative.
4. Open your home – offer hospitality to someone you may not have thought to.
5. Travel with care – help those needing transport, treat the roads and drivers with respect.
6. Act with intent – reflect with a moment of silence to seek guidance and clarity before beginning a task.
7. Prioritise family – spend the first hour of your evening dedicated to your family, screen-free.
8. Gratitude first – begin your day with thanks for the good things surrounding you.
9. Prayer for healing – say a prayer for the complete physical and spiritual recovery for the victims of the Bondi massacre.
10. Work with integrity – give the time you committed to the tasks you committed to.
11. Pay it forward – When someone wants to repay you for an act of kindness, encourage them to ‘pay it forward’ to a stranger instead.
12. Cherish your partner and friend – remind those you love every day how grateful you are for all they do for you.
13. Kindness without expecting anything in return – Quietly perform an act of kindness to brighten someone else’s day.
14. Teach children – read children stories that show them all the good in the world.
15. Legacy of life – empower the next generation to carry forward not with loss but with hope.