This year I have found myself in circumstances, I wouldn’t wish on anybody. Yet, it’s those situations that have taught me a great deal, given me pause and caused me to stop and think. Earlier in the year I was hospitalised after contracting Covid. There are a couple of ways to look at the same…
Tag: In the Valley
Road Closed
On a rainy summer’s day, my mum used to send us children to the attic. As an adult I now understand why. Ours was a small cottage, and we must have added considerably to the indoor noise levels. We climbed the steep narrow staircase, one of us followed by the other, all the way up….
Kintsugi
Kintsugi is a 15th-Century Japanese practise of repairing broken pottery and transforming it into a new work of art with gold. The name of the technique comes from the words “kin” (golden) and “tsugi” (joinery), which translates to “golden repair”, “mended with gold” or “to join with gold”. There is a powerful message behind Kintsugi….
Life Defining Moments
There are certain events that get burned into our memory, so totally, that no matter how much time passes, it feels like it only happened yesterday. It was a Friday evening and mid-winter. Although I had only just finished eating dinner, it was already dark outside. I was alone at home. My husband had taken…
His Eye is on the Sparrow
Early June this year, my husband Peter and I dropped into a corner café in the middle of the city. I took the table inside next to the window, while Peter went to order. I watched the last of the autumn leaves dancing in the wind, while passers by wrapped their scarves around them a…
The Anchor Holds
Have you ever had a season in your life when a wave of adversity hits? It sweeps you into its current with full force and removes all sense of normality. It has no mercy. Rough, threatening waters with violent motion surround you. The ship of your life is tossed around like a toy in rough…
Hope
Have you ever wondered why in the worst moments of human history; you often find the greatest amount of hope? We hear stories of great suffering of all kinds, be it amidst war, natural disasters or other kinds of personal despair and agony. The situations seem totally hopeless, the future seems unpredictable. Australia has appropriately…
Wait a Minute
My earnest desire is to find joy in every single day, but I understand some days are harder than others. Recently, I came across a quote that made me chuckle: “By replacing your morning coffee, by green tea, you can lose 87% of what little joy you still have left in your life.” The more…
The Royal Symphony
Some time ago now, I had an unforgettable experience, at The Sydney Opera House where I got to listen to the masterful performance of Pictures at an Exhibition by Sydney Symphony Orchestra by conductor Giancarlo Guerrero. There is something about live music that is exhilarating. As an audience member I felt more than a spectator,…
Winter of Discontent
William Shakespeare first used the phrase “Winter of Discontent” in his popular play Richard III, where King Richard is expressing his feelings of discontent. We get the idea that he is not happy with his current situation. Later Shakespeare’s line has been used to describe several historical world events such as the winter of 1978-79…
Apples of Gold 