After Yasi: Finding the Smile Within
IMAGINE your house being ripped apart by cyclonic winds?
What would you do?
MEET June Perkins indigenous author as she launches After Yasi: Finding the Smile Within. After Yasi shares true survival stories of Cyclone Yasi which destroyed communities on the Cassowary Coast, Far North Queensland in 2011.
June Perkins launches her book, as part of her worldwide Blog Tour. June is a writer friend of mine from Write Links group Brisbane. June is not only an author but she’s an awesome photographer, journalist and digital story teller.
June Perkins indigenous author
What happens after a cyclone?
As a survivor of bullying and mental illness and a resilience author, I was interested in how June and her community survived their ordeal with coping skills and resilience. So I interviewed June to find out…
1. How do children and families recover from a natural disaster?
“A vital aspect of our recovery, immediately after the cyclone was incredible acts of spontaneous kindness from others, many who did not live in our local area. They helped us recover our goods from our cyclone torn house, gave us quilts they had personally made and sent care packs. Later we needed to repay these kind strangers as soon as we were on our feet again. This gave us a great sense of dignity.
Our children coped with the devastation by focusing on the needs of our pet guinea pigs. They found thinking of their needs, cuddling and feeding them during storms in the months and years after, empowering.
Our family connected with neighbours, friends, and extended family through stories, music, art and sport. People told their survival stories to each other, each story touching their hearts and lives.
Years later, when you met locals it was ‘ What happened to you during Yasi?’
2. What can natural disasters teach us about creating resilience?
“It’s important to keep physically and mentally healthy during the recovery process as Pam says in my book, ‘be gentle’ to each other. Everyone travels at their own pace to recovery. Patience and love are vital, including with oneself.
As nature greens itself and children and families see this physical renewal they feel their inner recovery. Observing the environment come back to life, triggers emotional and spiritual healing within. Nature is a symbol and an emblem for what human communities can achieve socially. We CAN regenerate.”
Read MORE on ABC Open
After Yasi Blog Schedule 2015
Jan 27 Karen Tyrrell http://www.karentyrrell.com/
Jan 28 Dimity Powell interview http://www.dimswritestuff.blogspot.com.au/
Jan 29 Charmaine Clancy http://charmaineclancy.com/
Feb 30 Jedda Bradley https://www.facebook.com/jeddabradleyartist
Feb 2 Ali Stegart http://ali-stegert.com/
Feb 3 ABC What ABC Open contributed to After Yasi https://www.facebook.com/gemma.deavinabcopen
Feb 3 Online launch date
Sample Pages: http://gumbootspearlz.pressbooks.com/
Buy After Yasi Here
After Yasi is an extraordinary book filled with survival stories, colour photos, video interviews and so much more.
I urge you to buy a copy HERE
WIN a Free Photographic Print OR an eBook
Leave a comment below … Good luck 🙂
What do you think of June’s incredible story of survival?
Can you please share and tell your friends about After Yasi?
Please leave a comment, LIKE, tweet, Like & google+ 🙂
A tragic but heartwarming story of the total impact of a cyclone. As a Brisbanite I’ve never lived thru a cyclone, the closest is seeing the results of the recent mini cyclone storm that trashed my son’s unit at Moorooka. So I say to those survivors of Yasi, God bless you all, that’s as close as a human will get to hell.
[…] Jan 27 Karen Tyrrell http://www.karentyrrell.com/ […]
Thanks Steve,
For checking out June’s book After Yasi: amazing stories from a very brave community focused on surviving and restoring themselves. Amazing photos and interviews too… Karen 🙂
[…] Karen Tyrrell on After Yasi Book Launch and Blog Tour […]
Sorry to hear about your son’s unit. Storms of any description can be scary as nature shows it’s might. I did feel for people in that recent Brisbane storm. You get your share of interesting weather down here.
Thanks June,
Like you and your community on the Cassowary Coast, my son survived.
Not too many cyclones though in Brisbane.
The photos who took and the stories you and your community told were heart breaking … Karen 🙂
Great start to the new book launch!
Resilience, recovery and rebuilding a new life, the hallmarks of survivors.
Congratulations on your book.
Hi Charmaine,
For dropping over. Its great you’re supporting June too on the Blog Tour.
See you over on your page on January 29 …Cheers Karen 🙂
Hi Noeleen,
Thanks for your persistence in working out the comment system.
Love your words “Resilience, Recovery and Rebuilding a new life”.
Good luck with your resilience book too … Cheers, Karen 🙂
Your presentation of “After Yasi” is wonderful. Love the interview!! Good luck, June!
Hi Carol,
Nice to meet you. Thrilled you like June’s interview.
Good luck with the photographic print and eBook giveaway … Karen 🙂
Thanks Noeleen, Charmaine and Carol. Rebuilding is often a time for reevaluating what is the most important to one’s well being. Thanks for your thoughts and support.
Thanks for sharing these tips on resilience in the aftermath of major weather events, June and Karen. June’s book is full of inspiration and heart-touching photos. I think it will encourage survivors and helpers.
Hi Ali,
Thanks for dropping over to check June’s resilience tips on surviving major weather events.
I was inspired by June’s story and photos too.
I’ll see you over on your leg of June’s Blog Tour and Book giveaway tomorrow
… Cheers Karen 🙂
[…] Karen Tyrrell is dedicated to the development of resilience in children and adults. She has many books people who like my book would also love reading. […]
<3 the interview! Thanks so very much. My best to you.
Dying to read it. <3
[…] Karen Tyrrell on After Yasi Book Launch and Blog Tour […]
Good luck with the competition … Karen 🙂
Thanks Jaimia. June and I enjoyed presenting the interview here … Karen 🙂
[…] Jan 27 Karen Tyrrell http://www.karentyrrell.com/ […]