Sharing things

Cover image: A photo I took of Rangi Kipa’s sculpture, Pikimairawea, while having lunch with a friend. The sculpture is a depiction of the fish hook the demi-god Māui used to lure and reel in the giant stringray that became the North Island, known as Te Ika a Māui, of New Zealand.

To start off in the spirit of sharing things, a few weeks ago I had lunch with a friend. A very, very good friend who in recent times, I have not made time to catch up with often enough. We are working on having lunch together more often! (See my post Let distance be no barrier about cherishing connections with friends near and far.) My friend and I sat in the Tim Beaglehole Courtyard at the Kelburn campus of Wellington’s Victoria University, right next to the sculpture shown in the cover image. I had seen the sculpture many times in passing, both while on my way to the library when I was studying at the university and while on the way into town as it is part of one of the regular routes I can walk. It was only when my friend told me what the sculpture was that I took a moment to appreciate it and became interested in learning more about it. More info on the sculpture can be found at this link, and if you want to read the full story of Māui’s fishing trip with his brothers, try Māui and the giant fish.

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I am not particularly good at letting family know about big things that happen in my life. It follows, then, that I am also not particularly good at having conversations about the more mundane and usual things that are going on for me. Sometimes, this is due to me thinking I don’t have anything interesting to talk with family and friends about, and other times I just forget that it is good to keep in touch with people we like spending time with!

My parents are both good at sharing things they’ve been doing. Daily goings on, people they’ve caught up with, trips travelled, and other so called more ‘exciting’ things. Sometimes I am good at replying with questions to find out more about what they’ve shared, and to impart information about things going on in my own week. Sometimes I think to myself “I’m busy with work/a gym workout/life admin but I will reply later.” Cue pangs of guilt several hours later or the next day when I finally remember to get around to responding properly.

What do you think my parents do when I share something with them, big or small?

If you guessed they would show interest, and keenness, and joy, in what it is that I have been up to, you would be right!

Time on this earth for us is shorter than we sometimes believe it to be. Making the time to check in with loved ones, to let them know what we’ve been up to, is an important part of living life well. For me, as I write a message or say out loud what I’ve been up to, it is a reminder that sometimes I have been spending my time doing a lot of little things. And though I may not have done any ‘big’ things like taking an overseas trip, finishing a writing project, attending a wedding, watching the local football team compete in the playoffs, learning more about my country’s history, or winning the local pub quiz, there is much I can share.

So, take a moment, think about a few of the things you’ve been up to, big or small, and who you can share these memories with. I hope and am sure, there are friends or family who will be excited to hear from you. Or if it’s not about sharing those stories right at this moment, have a cup of tea, or meet up for lunch, with someone and watch the world go by.

Keep on keeping on being awesome.

PEACE.