Anne

I hope you are enjoying spring. I’m pleased to be into daylight savings and appreciating spring. At the same time, being honest I am finding myself in a season with some challenges. I am attending to self-care and have good support. There have been recent highs in our family and also just the challenges that go with this stage of parenting and life.

We have had a tight knit community of neighbours. Over many years this has made for a wide base for my waiora well-being and sense of belonging. In recent months a neighbour and dear friend died. We also have neighbours preparing to move. The passing of our friend is a significant loss for us. I have long thought how our elders need close relationships with younger generations and to be treasured by them. This is very true. I have also found that Anne met a deep need in my life for friendship and connection. This post is a reflection I wrote weeks after her passing.

Fourteen years ago our lives were changed for the good by meeting Anne, an older neighbour. Her husband was a gentleman, a retired school principal in his nineties.

Anne died in recent months living into her late eighties.

In her first times visiting our home she brought small carved wooden boxes for our young boys to put treasures in. Anne brought so much joy to our lives and she constantly reminded us that we brought much pleasure to hers. She and I were both home-based women so found it easy to connect. Our friendship continually deepened over many years. We had countless tea parties and particularly enjoyed our regular Chanui summer berry teas, raspberries with ice cream and raspberry Pepsi, talking as the sun went down. There is definitely a theme there! She was part of our family taking an interest in our boys, joining us for birthdays, music concerts and at Christmas. Lock downs were made sweeter for seeing each other on fine days, sitting out on her porch in the sunshine with a cuppa. Anne was a retired teacher and great storyteller.

It is a blessing to be around a person with a gift of encouragement. She loved the podcast and encouraged me in this. When I was caught stumped for words or in an awkward situation, Anne would find something humorous or gracious to say.

Anne was surrounded by neighbours who loved her and she loved them. She was interested in people and so grateful for every visit, a gift of food or picked flowers. She was kind, thoughtful and generous to us all. I loved her humor – being quick witted and bringing laughter to those listening.

Something that has struck me even more now she has gone is how our friendship was very beneficial to both of us. She had felt needs for friendship, and I did too. I live in a house full of boys, and like everyone I can have an emotionally challenging day. How nice it was to escape for a tea with a lady friend who always gave such an affectionate welcome. It has been a wonderful blessing to find such a long-time friend living on the other side of the fence. Both hers and my mental, emotional and spiritual well-being was nurtured through this friendship.

I am so grateful to God for Anne, a gift from above. She was also a woman of faith. Our family’s friendship with Anne will always be deeply treasured and I look forward to when I see her next.

There is a richness of life that comes through neighborhood and inter-generational friendships. We are blessed by the season of life we’ve been in. This spring I hope you are finding time to have a tea or walk with family, friends or neighbours.

Blessings,

Bronnie