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A lost BAG, a BIRTHDAY and a BUILDER

This past weekend some of my siblings, Val and I had a superb time together at Palm Beach on Waiheke Island - swims, walks, board games, cafes and conversations between each other (and extended family who live near where we stayed).While there my sister in law Anne shared with me a story about Hugo, a visiting university friend.  A month ago Chris and Anne, daughter Emma and husband Tau took Hugo to the same island to experience more sights of our country. While travelling around on a bus Hugo realised he had left his bag at a cafe in the settlement of Onetangi. Emma phoned the cafe to see if the bag was still there. It was. The cafe had also put a notice up about the bag on their Facebook page. She carried on with her conversation with the manager, who told her that they would put the bag on another bus that would meet them at another settlement on the island. Bag returned.  Now continuing on their way, a woman got on their bus and cheerily said to the driver, “Happy Birthday...
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WHAT’S for DINNER?

Our niece Lucy lives in Christchurch with her husband Connor and their two delightful pre-school daughters. Both Lucy and Connor work in the police force.They are a young couple doing a demanding and sometimes dangerous job, alongside parenting!  Val and I have been following Lucy’s career for a long time. I remember kayaking with Val on the Tauranga harbour when my phone rang. Lucy excitedly told us she had been accepted for police training. We were so excited and proud too (She had her eighteenth birthday at police college and when she graduated she was, at that time, New Zealand’s youngest policewoman).  We now occasionally catch up at family gatherings in Auckland. As months pass we text each other with a simple, short message, ‘What’s for dinner?’ The question never changes, but the answers do. e.g. Casserole. Home made burgers and chips. Delish. Yummers. Chinese takeaways. Lamb chops with beans and corn. Yummers. Delish.  Our print connections are very important as ...
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GOOD PEOPLE/REAL PEOPLE

Sue and Donna are good people. They are real estate salespeople who work together with their business name Team Sue Hall and under the auspices of Lodge Real Estate based in Hamilton (and serving the greater Waikato). They have been in real estate for many years - Sue 29 and Donna 20.  I talked with them last Saturday in the Raglan Wharf Kitchen and Bar. Early in our conversation, I read out what a client had said unsolicited about their professionalism. “They know how to read people and take people at their word. We said we don’t want to be pushed and they did exactly that. They told the truth to the vendor and to us, the seller.” Both Sue and Donna were visibly touched by those comments.  We then talked about kindness. The following thoughts were shared. “Kindness is a by-product of integrity and values and how we view people and their worth and value.”  “When I met Sue we integrated our underpinning philosophy of how we do business. There is a deep respect between us.”...
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YOU wanna be KIND? Be PATIENT

Are you a patient person? As you get older, are you becoming more or less patient? Does the following definition of patience fit you? Patience is the ability to stay calm and not get angry or upset when you have to wait a long time, deal with a hard problem, or face a slow task.  Earlier this year, Chris and I were the first customers when the doors opened (surprise, surprise) at 7am at a Mt Eden (Auckland) cafe. Being twins, we mostly like the same food choices. Our order was toast with honey and a flat white. Our toast order must have been seldom asked for and caused some confusion. The wait staff came back to us three times for clarification. The price changed a few times too. You could feel the stress levels rising as the wait staff were doing their best to get the order right and on time.  I can ‘hear’ a few cynical ‘voices’ saying, ‘the order wasn’t that difficult’. True, but they were inexperienced, still at high school and the last thing they needed were two curmudgeon...
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BOOM! Te Pahu

I’m having difficulty staying retired. My first retirement was from Hamilton Boys’ High School and lasted 6 weeks. My recent farewell/retirement from Te Uku School lasted 2 weeks and I’m currently teaching one day a week at Te Pahu School.  Te Pahu means a bell or gong making a booming noise to summon people together. This small farming community is nestled below Mount Pirongia, 45 kms from Raglan. One of our ex Prime Ministers, Helen Clark, was born and raised there. She attended the local school, before boarding at Epsom Girls’ Grammar School in Auckland.  On my first day of teaching, I couldn’t help but notice and not long after tasting a magnificent pavlova, given to staff by a kind and generous parent as a way of saying thank you. Other parents randomly gift delicious treats to the staff as the term goes by.  The culture of the school is further enhanced when the staff have a themed morning tea together. ie party food, high tea, colour food. Once a term the staff do ...
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WE CARE

My nephew Michael and his wife Heather have a son and daughter, their son currently attending Onehunga Primary School in Auckland. The school has a simple overarching value. We Care.  He loves school because he loves his teacher and she loves him. Sa is her first name and she leads the Piwakawaka (Native Fantail) Year 6 Learning community, leading by example. Their son said, “She likes me.” - he knows he has a secure relationship with his teacher. Sa can be firm when she needs to be and challenges him when his behaviour needs attention. The first time she was introduced to their son, she said to him, “Ive been waiting for you.” This beautiful, inclusive statement was followed by a hug for the parents too.  A few months later in the school year, Sa shared with his parents, “Your son makes me feel like a Queen. Queen Beyoncé.”  Occasionally, Michael and Sa wave to each other when he rides past the school and she is on road crossing duty. Michael describes her as a friendly,...
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My BEAUTIFUL BOOK (Written by children)

 I was recently farewelled from my part time teaching position at Te Uku Primary School, near Raglan. The farewell assembly was memorable. My speech was simple. Why have I been at the school for four and a half years? To help and to care and above all to be kind.  I have taught at every class level and loved it and I view it as being a privileged teaching position.  I then told the students sitting in front of me that I see in them, hope, joy and potential. I added, they were all precious and special.  I enjoy teaching writing. My goal was for each student to proudly say, I’m a writer.  And so to my beautiful book. I was presented with a unique, beautifully appointed book, ‘A Collection of Stories from our Lives’, written by Te Uku School Tamariki/children. Outlined below are a number of excerpts from their stories.  ‘I will miss you Matua (male teacher) Steve. I like it when you read the stories in your book (The Trouble with Twins A memoir). ‘I liked the ...
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