Advent Greetings 2022

Greetings to friends and whānau as another year draws to the close, the 61st year of me being on the planet. As per usual in thinking how to sum up this year, it is the usual mixture of gains and losses… but immense gratitude for a life that that can’t be taken for granted when looking at challenges others around me face. 

Settling in and Moving On 

Marty has continued to settle into life in Dunedin, and into life in the Carsonage. I’m reminded that this part of the world is a great place to live (always very mindful of this as I look back at photographs from the year), but that it is not somewhere you come if you want long, hot summers: we have settled on summer being a concept, rather than a season, and you just take each day as it comes. 

My work has remained fairly consistent, but aware that an ageing church demographic is really starting to bite, and with a few Anglican Churches celebrating 150 year anniversaries this year, the shape of things to come is very uncertain. One of my tasks at work was to put together some information on how to close a church, which is sad, but also the reality right now. 

Marty’s work has come and gone a bit, for a while he had a brief (but illustrious!) career with the Dunedin City Council in their Community Development area, but he has since moved on and is finishing training as a Restorative Justice Facilitator (associated with the court system) and also travelling towards a new hospital chaplaincy post. He continues to attempt a friendship with Aroha the cat, who is slowly warming… 

The moving on is to do with saying goodbye to the Carsonage (14 Carson Street) and literally moving across the hill to a larger house that will be easier to entertain in. I will have lived in the same house for 11 years when we shift, a record in terms of my time in any one place! 

Gain and Loss 

This year has meant saying goodbye to three parents in our household: Marty’s Mum (Gwenyth), Dad (Peter) and my mum (Alison). It has been great to have the extra connections with Whānau over the year in Auckland and Dunedin, with my younger brother travelling from Toronto and older brother and sister in law from Wellington. There have been a number of other significant people who have passed on, including a former workmate Ginny Kitchingman. 

I guess the biggest gain continues to be Marty in my life, and I’m very grateful for all that he brings. I’m a very content introvert, but it has been good having someone who is so good at connecting with people and making sure we get out and enjoy life. Over this year we have hosted lots of guests at the Carsonage and have also had a few trips away, for example up the Waitaki Valley in May and doing a few bike rides in Central Otago in November. 

New Beginnings…? 

I can recall in my days as an occupational therapist encouraging people to identify what key roles and activities we should be involved in at certain times of life. For some there will be stages where they have very active engagement in building careers, family life, particular passions and connections… and I am thinking now: “what’s next”? 

I’m very fortunate to enjoy good health and technically have a few years left in me before drawing on the pension. I am getting slightly itchy feet, but am very aware also that it not “just me” anymore – which has its challenges as well as its opportunities. 

I’m always asking about where I am now in my work and family life – can this be better? Have particular things had their day, what should the focus be now? I’m a great believer that there is always the opportunity to reinvent oneself and look forward to what this stage in life has on offer, but I’m very much keeping an open mind for all of this. For any of you who are inclined to pray, remember me (and all your friends) as the year draws to a close and new opportunities (possibly!) present themselves. 

 Arohanui, Andrew