I vote for the Morcombes for Australians of the Year

The school from which Daniel Morcombe should have graduated opens its doors for the 2012 year tomorrow. It’s the same school where my two teenagers will complete their high school education.

Late last year on the Day for Daniel, when Bruce and Denise Morcombe took to the stage at that school, the gathered parents, teachers and students were once again reminded of the incredibly inspirational work that these everyday people do in the huge, huge wake of the type of personal grief that none of us ever want to experience.

They talked of the work they do with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and they awarded the first perpetual Daniel Morcombe award to a Year 10 student who had excelled in all aspects of his schooling life. That student’s name was Daniel too. The tragic irony was not lost on those who were there.

The applause did not stop. It didn’t stop as they said their thanks. It didn’t stop as they walked off the stage and down the steps. And it didn’t stop when they left the hall.

There would not have been one person in that building who didn’t think Bruce and Denise deserved every award going.

Which is why I wish I could vote for this year’s Australian of the Year, which will be announced on Wednesday evening.

The Morcombes are Queensland’s nominees for the award for their child protection work . And quite frankly, I think it would be VERY un-Australian NOT to give it to them.

There is no award that will bring back their then-13-year-old son who was on his way to buy Christmas presents for his family when he was abducted while waiting for a bus. But every recognition serves to highlight the work that they have done from that horrific day on.

They have lived every parent’s nightmare. They still live it.

Last August – almost eight years on - naive stupid reporters asked the Morcombes about closure when police charged a 41-year-old man with the murder of their son.

How can anyone EVER have closure on something like this?

No, the Morcombes don’t have closure. They have an even fiercer determination. A determination to ensure other families never have to go through what they have gone through.

Could you imagine doing this yourself? To be so selfless, to channel your grief for the greater good?

I don’t know if I would be so capable? I don’t know that I’m anywhere near that strong.

And I hope I never have to find out.

Visit the Daniel Morcombe Foundation