Recorded live in Ringwood, Melbourne VIC 3134 on Monday 18th May 2020.

Diane has been a huge supporter of my work as well as all the other La Trobe students and she’s always there for us. I’ve known her for quite a while and she has this energy, this way about her that is just so positive. I’ve always wanted to have this chat with her, but you know, life happens and we couldn’t really sit down and have a chat until now.

When I asked her to join me on the podcast, she said yes, but she wanted to chat to me first because the topic she wanted to talk about, according to her, is a tough one to talk about. This has never happened before, and when she finally told me what it was, I cried a little. Not because it is a sad thing, but because I had no idea she was struggling with that much pain and still remained so positive and still supported us students with all her heart.

It’s one of those little things that remind me of how human we all are, and how we should always pay attention to the people around us. I wish I could hug her right there and then. But of course, we couldn’t hug in person, so I sent her my virtual hugs and promised to shout her KFC - her fave!

Diane’s message for our convo is: “Life is short - appreciate those around you and appreciate the small things.” She also shared: “I enjoyed the freedom to share my story - a topic that may be taboo for some in the community. The natural flow of the conversation was also enjoyable.”

For those of you that would like to know more about our amazing Diane and her journey, her message for you is: “Listeners can follow my 'journey' on Instagram under the account > geeeesman”.

All our love,

Diane and Lu