Arohanui

This is a short post in light of recent events in New Zealand. So much has already been said, and said much better than I could say it. But these events got me thinking about a time a number of years ago when my kids were finally old enough to be left home alone. There were some sibling tensions as there are in most households so I trotted out three words, pretty much off the cuff, as I left: patience, tolerance and consideration. As it turned out, those words were fairly accurate and the ones they needed to hear (although later we changed consideration to communication). I am reminded of those words now – all four of them. I can’t change the world, but I can practise patience, tolerance, consideration and communication with my family, with my friends, with my workmates and with my local community, and that seems like a good place to start. Arohanui.