A Week of Service

 It's a week of awhi...Māori shortening of āwhina, support. Friday I'm running round picking up Kahu so he can get to work on time, then forget my card so when I go into Accent to pick up my light, they won't give it to me. I'm pissed off. I've had enough of running round. On Saturday I get more curtain samples for the other two bedrooms then take Sharyn to Amana's for Amana's annual birthday do. My gift is a box of fireworks I've had in the cupboard for ages. Thought I'd never get rid of them. Gone are the days I bought the biggest box on the shelves and invited people round. People letting off fireworks in their backyards has become distinctly unpopular. There's been some massive, out of control fires in Chch, in Oz, in California so fire has acquired an aura of danger. Even in my mind. Amana's a bit nervous about the neighbours. some of whom she's at odds with. We set up on the street and I gather my wits to strike the match. Someone else has always done it. The rockets and fountains are loud, bright and all have names linked to the night sky. We don't adequately prop up the last firework and it tips over and goes shooting into the opposite neighbours bushes. I ferret around to make sure it's not starting a fire. And cross my fingers.

The back yard fire is too difficult to get the wheel chair back to, so we pack up and head home. On Sunday I'm back to help move Amana's furniture. She's about to get earthquake repairs and needs it all in the shed. The builder is a few weeks off but Amana's like me, doing it by herself and chipping away at this most enor
mous job. 

Tuesday is book group and we bring and discuss a handcraft hobby. I take an unfinished scrapbook of Tui's. Clippings of extended family news...old school paper. We drink mulled wine, learn origami and hear tales of quilting, a book by the author of Rupert Bear who was a family friend and many other intimate stories. Seems hand craft uncovers human connections.

Establishing connections is the theme of Pacifika Fono night, meeting family of our Pacific students, and I host the PPTA regional committee meeting on Thursday. 

Āwhi, kaitiakitanga, whānaunatanga. 

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.