“I don’t like funerals, I’m not very good at waiting or being quiet.” Huhana: four years old. Dear Huhana and Kāhu o te Rangi, Huhana, from about 11am – 1.30pm yesterday, you weren’t allowed to talk. We were at your Great, Great, Uncle Jim Webber’s tangi. People were paying their respects, sharing their whakaaro/thoughts or […]
Category Archives: Letters worth sharing
Imagine, dream, create.
And the army has to get the dragon and the dragon has to get the army and whoever climbs up the rainbow and slides down the fastest gets the golden trophy. – Huhana, four. Dear Huhana and Kāhu o te Rangi, Once upon a night, someone you know wrestled control of their life back from an […]
Last week I saw a counsellor – Letters worth sharing
Dear Huhana and Kāhu, I hope by the time you’re reading this, these two pictures about staying alive and healthy will be just as cool as each other. I visited a counsellor last week. I’m sure a lot of other people did too, I hope they did. But while Instagram […]
Holidaying is cool – but not as cool as you
Dear Huhana and Kahu, We just got back from holidaying around Spain, Italy and Singapore. We were running around the sights in these places for a couple of weeks while you two stayed with my Mum and Dad and hung out with your cousins in Otaki. Do you know what me and your mum looked […]
What being a rapper taught me about practice
Dear Huhana and Kāhu, I was about eight-years-old when I realised how shy I was, how badly I got stage fright, and that I could never, ever, ever rap in front of a crowd. My legs were only a bit bigger than yours are now when I ran from my primary school library crying. I was […]
What if your failure is really your success?
Dear Huhana & Kāhu o te Rangi, Have you failed yet? Didn’t make a team you ’needed’ to be on? Wanted to build something that you were sure would be incredible, and watched it fall to pieces instead? I know it’s hard to remember at the time, but we all fail. If you learned something […]
What a Car Crash & Death Taught Me about Life & Happiness Pt.1
Dear H, This one is pretty personal and there’s a lot packed into the paragraphs, so take your time reading them. These first three letters were the hardest for me to write. But I did so instead of sitting down with you when you’re older, because it’s still easier for me to catch in writing […]
Finding a Hundred Happy Dollars
Dear Huhana and Kāhu ō te Rangi, This one is about making money, finding money, setting goals, and happiness. Yeah I know, “all these stupid letters are about happiness!” You’re right, they are. But that’s because if there’s one single thing I want to help you be, it’s that. Everything else comes second to happiness. When […]
What a Car Crash & Death Taught Me about Life & Happiness PART 2 (Perspective)
Dear Huhana and Kāhu ō te Rangi, Firstly, if you haven’t already, then please read part one of this letter. Part one makes up the first and most important lesson I learnt while trying to stop my life crumpling up like the bonnet of the car I crashed. I talked about happiness, because that’s something you […]
Purpose & productivity.
Dear Huhana & Kāhu ō te Rangi, Huhana you’re three years old, you’ve just become a big sister – congratulations and thanks in advance for helping raise your little bro. Kāhu ō te Rangi, you’re one week old today – welcome to the world, it’s yours to shape around you. This is a short letter. […]