Dealing with the pain of forgiveness
An end of year reflection Delta and Omicron. A new job. Importance of family and friends. Community. The blessing of another grandchild. Zoom. Social Media fatigue. And learning that I am cisgender (sorry, I’m slow). These are some thoughts that come to mind when I think about 2021. (There are plenty of others but these will do for now.) It was a year I was … Continue reading Dealing with the pain of forgiveness
Being the star in my story
A Christmas Reflection Last night I went to a cricket game at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It was a lot of fun. Our team, the Sixers won, which is always nice. The evening was perfect for a “Big Bash” game. Yet, there was something that I hadn’t noticed before in any previous game. A lot of kids would form in little clusters, like bees to … Continue reading Being the star in my story
Living on the other side of the planet
Now we realise it really is on the other side of the planet “Previously, I think before Covid, I would have said only 30 percent. Now I think that that percentage is higher, because we realised how far we are from our family.” Esther Mirjam muses on the likelihood of returning to her homeland of Switzerland. Covid has changed so much. “Before we came here … Continue reading Living on the other side of the planet
Cultivating what matters
Change for the better “’Kaizen’ has been my word for this year,” Sam explains. It is a Japanese term that means change for the better or continuous improvement. She tells me about a process that commenced for her a little over two years ago. At the time Sam began reassessing her priorities. She was working for the Christian Humanitarian agency, Baptist World Aid (BWAA) and … Continue reading Cultivating what matters
Letting Go
Coming to terms with our mortality gives us a unique perspective. Harry muses on the fact that there are some things he cannot change or fix, as much as he would like to. Mr “Fixit” “My kids knew me as Mr Fixit. Whether it was something broken or whether it was an issue they or one of their friends was dealing with. It was usually, … Continue reading Letting Go
The Circassian Exile
My father, Nanu, was born 99 years ago on this day. In some ways he was a simple, uncomplicated sort of man. He loved peace, quiet and the company of people who connected him to his homeland in the Caucasus. He was proud, stubborn, could hold grudges over seemingly trivial things, yet was a doting grandfather and loyal family man. Reflecting on the sort of … Continue reading The Circassian Exile
A choice to love
“It’s a slow burn grief. There is not a week goes by that you don’t experience some sort of grief.” Andy reflects on the past five years since his wife Julie was diagnosed with early onset dementia. “I’m a farm boy, before I went into ministry I was a tradie. We don’t cry. We’re tough. We pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. None of … Continue reading A choice to love
A hiker’s view of transitions
“I don’t see transitions as being gentle, ongoing, slightly rocky bush trails. I see them as being difficult. You are going to get bruised and battered. But when you get to the top, you are going to be proud of that. And it will sting for a bit, but what a reminder of what you’ve achieved.” Katie reflects on her love of mountain hiking as … Continue reading A hiker’s view of transitions
Understanding lockdown anxiety
So Sydney is in Covid lockdown again. The next 2 weeks, no substantial contact with anyone outside my home, except if I’m sick, need toilet paper from the shops or a barista-made (take-away) coffee. I decide that I need to go for a walk after online church, where one of the upsides is “seeing” a friend in the chatbox, whom Sue and I haven’t spoken … Continue reading Understanding lockdown anxiety
don't write us off 