Changing the world for my Daughter
Bella’s doing NCEA English, and she needs to read and then write essay responses to poems and short stories. I’m ridiculously proud-happy I could give her a copy of Va and say, HERE YA GO. CHOOSE SOMETHING FROM THIS ANTHOLOGY OF WRITING FROM 38 MOANA WOMEN. I didnt have those choices when I was in…
Random Kid on a Beach
Yesterday at triathlon training, we had an aquathon (swim and run). As the squad is doing warmup laps and we’re organising the setup for transition, I notice a young boy come wandering over. Ragged shorts, no shoes. Avidly curious as he watches the squad swim. He goes up to Darren. Greets him with a confident,…
Lagi
When an ali’i (High Chief) passes away, there are certain ceremonies and protocol followed. One of these is the Lagi where the extended family acknowledges the fa’aaloalo that the village has given to the ali’i due to his/her many years of service. The village acknowledges the ali’i service, contributions and achievements that have brought honor…
Give me the Night.
Storytime. About Darren. About my Dad. About family. And the practicalities of death. When a burial must take place within 24 hours SOMEBODY has to make it happen. Somebody who knows what they’re doing, has all the necessary equipment, somebody who can drop everything and come make the grave ready. For us, that somebody, was…
A love never doubted.
Sixty years ago our mother Marita Aroha Johnson was a beautiful new bride who left her home and her family in Aotearoa New Zealand to come live in Samoa. At Dad’s farewell she spoke about how when (our super handsome😉) Dad proposed to her on a NZ beach, he told her he would take her…
Gone.
Written on 20th February 2023. On Friday the 17th of February, at 10.40am, at home with my mother sitting beside him, and my brother Cam whispering in his ear “I love you Dad. It will be alright. Everything will be alright” – Dad quietly slipped away. We didnt have time to cry though because he…
Dangerous Kisses
We avoided it for 3 yrs but its finally happened. The plague got us. That man who lives in the same house as me, came home 5 days ago from New Zealand. We did not yet know he had covid, so I confess that I kissed him heaps. Which was reckless I admit (In my…
The Journey begins – with Serena Williams. And chocolate eclairs.
I turn fifty next year (wow I know, I’m old!) So I made a list of things I want to do in my fiftieth year of awesomeness. Number one on the list, is I want to do a marathon. And not die. In preparation for that, I have to do a half- marathon THIS year.…
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Lani Wendt Young 