First Birthday Celebration.

My son and wife in Christchurch 362 KMs north of Dunedin had invited us to go to their youngest daughter's first birthday party which happened today. I had a peer support meeting to attend on Saturday, and there were other commitments in town. We told them that we couldn't possibly come.  Then Covid 19 re-emerging in New Zealand, which meant that these things were cancelled! Our newest car had broken down, but we did have two other older 1990's cars that could make the trip, though with a measure of uncertainty.  I was a little uncertain about our vehicles, but willing to take one of them. My wife was talking to my daughter who is financial administrator for the Dominican Sisters. She got back to us saying that the Sisters had a spare car doing nothing at the moment and that the sisters would be happy to loan it to us. "It needs a decent run" we were told. We decided to go through to Christchurch to attend the birthday. So we picked up this 2010 Toyota, on Saturday drove through to Christchurch, and today, Sunday, attended the birthday party with my son's wife's local family. It has been a while since we had seen the kids in person, so it was great to catch up with their growth and development, conversing and playing with them and to spend Sunday just relaxing in the warm sun at their home. Tomorrow we head back to Dunedin, and a St John Ambulance Chaplains Zoom conference day on Tuesday. We will have lunch with friends about half way home tomorrow. 

Simon our son (adopted) Steph (his Canadian born wife) Theodore (7) Vida (4) and baby Olive (1).

I am slowly learning that I need to make keeping up with relationships much more of a priority than I have been used to. I neglect family and friendships and make other commitments, (relating with other people and work) more important. That has been my mode of operating during my working life, but now that I am mostly retired I realise that I am still doing it. I happily report that it was really good to relax with my son and family today. It will be good also to spend time with friends over lunch tomorrow. A weekend well spent.

But age catches up.

I recall in 1969/70's, in my. 20's, my wife's parents lived in Christchurch. We would drive from Dunedin after work on a Friday night, (five hours) in a 1956 low powered car. Then on Sunday evening drive back to Dunedin, and both of us would be ready for work the next day. I recall a few years later driving twice that distance to meetings and then drive home. The roads in New Zealand are mostly not long straight wide highways. But now at nearly 72 years of age, in quite a significantly more comfortable and roadworthy car, I drive that distance and feel really worn out. I actually love driving! There is no denying that age causes you to slow down. "Gettin' old ain't for sissy's" my American mate says.