Dear Reader Gently releasing I'm not going to pretend life without my sister's presence is easy. It's not. There's not a moment she isn't in my thoughts. Little things, big things, and nothing at all bring her back into my mind and heart. I'm no different to others of us who grieve. I've lived long enough now to know that grief is irrevocably stitched into the fabric of human lives. Mine is no different. It's how we live with this new fabric that is unique to each of us. Our memories of our...
3 days ago • 4 min read
Dear Reader Living in Hope in Today's World We love where we live and mostly this is because of the people who live and work throughout our neighbourhood: people from the United Kingdom, the Philipines, Malaysia, India, China, the Middle East and Africa, to name a few. Our little street reflects this mix as well. I marvel at the empathy and respect we have for each other's culture and way of life. Most of all, I notice the depth of love and compassion threaded throughout our interactions with...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Dear Reader The Power of Family The power of family was brought home to me on Sunday through a documetary we saw at a movie theatre in Hamilton. Tenor - My Name is Pati was recommended to us by several friends so we knew we were in for a treat. It's the story of Pene Pati and his brother Amitai Pati's journey from Samoa to success in the trio Sol3 Mio, and onto the world's great opera stages. I know a little of Samoan family culture through my son-in-law and his family - predominantly through...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader Travelling to see My Sister After three weeks or so since my recent visit, I’m back here in Australia, visiting family again. This time I’m travelling alone. I’m no stranger to solo travelling and I admit I love it. However, this time it felt like I was on an automated conveyor belt, passing through the landscape at my own pace but in a set order and direction, to be plonked in my airline seat and then spat out the other side into the arms of my niece Jane who came to pick me up....
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader Taking some respite Family matters took me to Brisbane for a visit recently. It never ceases to amaze me how we can find joy even when we are feeling overwhelmed. And during the few days I was there, there were many moments of joy. For example: My daughter Amy lives close to a place I spent some of my childhood and while she and her partner,Jamie, and my other daughter, Suraya, took off for a bit of exercise more strenuous than appealed to me at the time, I took the opportunity to...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader Having Confidence in Ourselves One of the women I most admire is Marie Curie. She was born in Poland in 1867. She received two Nobel Prizes for her work: one in chemistry and one in physics - the first woman to receive Nobel Prize in two distinct scientific domains. I honour you, Marie! Marie Curie (from Wikipedia) What I admire most about her is her tenacity. It was not easy for her to work in a discipline traditionally dominated by men. She acknowledged that struggle is part of...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Dear Reader First, let me assure you I am doing well and including some new strategies into my day to day life that are already paying dividends. Life is good. The Uncertainty of Life I wanted to share the events of Thursday last week that show the prompt for the theme of this newsletter. My Thursday included visits with two friends and the dentist, interspersed with home time with my hubby, and daughter recently returned from Australia. The visits started with coffee with a dear friend at...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Dear Reader Update for New Adventures :) I wrote last time about some of the health trials of 2025. This newsletter continues the theme with some of the ponderings from the last two weeks. I am happy to share that I've had x-rays that have revealed I have degenerative arthritis in my lower spine and in the rght side of the sacroiliac joint. This new diagnosis of "degenerative arthritis" is thrilling in a way. I'm exploring what the medical research says about treatments, deciding which ones I...
4 months ago • 5 min read
Dear Reader 2026! Time for New Adventures I am happy to say farewell to 2025, with gratitude for learning more about what's on the horizon and what I need to approach these new challenges with joyful anticipation. One of my darling daughters gave us a New Year challenge recently: Every year we choose a power word and I invite you to do the same. A word that lifts you, pushes you, and motivates you to keep going and doing what will bring you joy. I love the simplicity of this concept of...
4 months ago • 4 min read
