Cause for hope...

Emily Writes Weekly

It has been really, really easy to get bogged down in the miserableness of social media lately. Inbetween seeing messages saying things like ‘Die in a hole’ and ‘I hope you get knocked out’, I have seen new babies born, Christmas trees decorated, birthday parties and trips to the beach.

It’s a kind of whiplash I’m tired of. And I’d like to be free of it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about hope and what it means to have it and to lose it.

In between slurring hate from anti-vaxxers, I get messages from mums in hospital asking for help, I get messages from families wanting to help other families, I get messages about new charities set up to fill the gaps that seem to yawn wider every year. While ignoring my book, I get asked when my next book is coming.

It’s a strange feeling, like I’m everywhere and nowhere at once. I have been spending more time in the ocean, filling up my thoughts with the underwater silence.

I’ve been hopeful. Hopeful because hopeful feels so much better than hopeless. When I wear my hopelessness it’s heavy and painful and even when I take it off my body holds it like a muscle memory. My body’s bruises tell the story even when I try to start fresh.

When I’m hopeful everything feels lighter. I am gentle with my bones, with my skin, with my heart. And I want that for everyone.

I want to think about the good things. I want to stop the cycle of - this place isn’t asking for vaccine passes, they’re selling fake vaccine passes online, there’s been a mandate flip-flop, another anti-vaxxer died leaving their family distraught, there’s been more mystery cases and more unlinked cases, a protestor held a noose in front of his child, a protestor called for the prime minister to be….you get it.

So tell me what makes you hopeful and I’ll share mine. They’re all Covid 19 related because we have been talking about Covid a lot in our whare. Especially with borders opening soon -

• Auckland and Capital and Coast DHBs, have now reached 90% of their eligible Māori population having had their first vaccination.

• 88% of eligible New Zealanders are fully vaccinated against Covid 19. 11,931 vaccinations were administered yesterday.

• Just 7% have not had a single vaccination.

• 95.1% of eligible Wellingtonians are fully vaccinated against Covid 19.

• New Zealand’s vaccine rates provide a shield against Omicron.

• Per head of population, New Zealand’s death rate from Covid-19 has been the lowest in the developed world since May.

So what makes you hopeful? It doesn’t have to be Covid 19 related. Share anything that made you feel hopeful. I asked my whole whānau to get involved -

All of us: Brian Shelton in Elyria, Ohio may be the first person cured of type 1 diabetes.

My husband: “I read a headline that said Omicron might take out Covid 19 once and for all. Didn’t read past the headline though.” [It is extremely my husband to not read past a headline - something that infuriates me as a writer].

Ronnie: “I am excited for Lego Star Wars the Skywalker Saga to come out on most devices also there might be an undiscovered planet that could change Neptune’s orbit”.

Eddie: “I feel hopeful about going to diabetes camp. It’s exciting.”

So what’s yours?

Finally, I thought I’d share the new Awhi Ngā Mātua campaign - you might recognise a face or two! Thank you for supporting our tamariki. You can share these from our Facebook and Instagram pages.