Some of you may already know that my cousin Alex has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and an incredibly rare one at that. What you may not know, is just how amazing Alex is because instead of giving in and giving up, she’s decided that there is a Silver Lining to Every Cloud, and as such has launched ‘Alex’s Silver Lining Appeal’ to try and raise £5,000 for a tiny charity that rescues horses and ponies based in the Brecon Beacons.

On the 27th June 2009, she will be the hostess at her Silver Lining Garden Party in aid of the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust. (Click here if you are on Facebook).

The garden party takes place at Hillside Farm, near Comber outside Belfast, and if anyone would like to join Alex on the day, she (and I) would love to see you. If you can’t make it though, you can always make a donation to the charity through her Just Giving page too.

You can find out more about the Lluest Horse and Pony Trust at their website.

This title of this posts was about Diamonds, that’s a plural and I’m sure some of you will have noticed. So my second diamond is Families Facing Cancer, a new organisation that has been set up to support the families and carers of those who have cancer. Anne Orchard is the amazing founder who has been working round the clock to build awareness of her organisation.

What she really needs is to see people using the forums – so if you would like support, could help out or just want to post a message of hope, please visit the site at: www.familiesfacingcancer.org.

You were born together and together you shall be for evermore
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God
But let there be spaces in your togetherness
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each one of you be alone
Even as the strings of a lute are alone,
though they quiver with the same music

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart
And the oak and the cypress grow not in each others shadow.

From The Prophet by Kahil Gibran.