A LITTLE more give and a lot less take.

I used to get sick of saying 'no' all the time when the kids were little. So, I had 'yes' days.

Can I have some more lollies: 'yes', can I have five friends over for a sleepover, 'yes'. Please can I stay up and watch the movie, clean up later, make a cake (aaaggghhh the mess!). Yes, yes,yes, I would say, mostly through gritted teeth.

This last weekend I gathered in a beautiful location with my fellow book group members. One of the books for discussion was Jessa Crispin's manifesto: Why I Am Not A Feminist. It appeals to world where we all practice being better human beings, without the polarity.

I feel that is what Australia did last week. We said 'yes', and in doing so made a community of humans feel wanted, accepted and validated.

As the vote was announced in Lismore Quad, I felt the joy 'yes'.

'Yes' is an open place, an embracing space. It's affirmative. It puts a smile on your face. You need to be positive to believe we are capable of treating each other well, instead of with anger and revenge. I asked myself what role I could play. Taking on all the displaced people, educating the patriarchy, looking after the planet; it all feels overwhelming. So I decided to write this editorial.