A fourteen year old girl came to see me a few weeks ago, brought in by her mum. Her results were not reflecting the intelligence anyone around her could plainly see. Her teachers were concerned. Her parents were concerned.

She was not.

As far as she was concerned, she was doing fine.

Sure, she struggled sometimes, but her friends had her back at school, and between the two of them they made it work.

She had built a system that got her through the day, and in her mind, that was enough. 

I've properly enjoyed the break these holidays. A bit of slowing down, some time with family, and a few catch ups with old clients who I've come to think of as friends more than anything else at this point.

Family time is exactly where this story starts.

Last Friday was Matariki, and half of Hawke's Bay was out celebrating despite the cold and the rain. Hardy souls, all of them.

I decided my time was better spent inside. I cleaned the oven, sorted the kitchen cupboards, roasted a tray of vegetables for a pot of soup for lunch, and sacrificed a stubby to bake a loaf of bread to go with it. Not exactly a festival, but it felt like exactly where I needed to be.

The last couple of weeks have brought something else my way too, and it has stayed with me.

If this is your first newsletter from me, welcome! You have joined a pretty special community of people who refuse to give up on the learners in their lives.

Something happened this weekend that reminded me there is something important you might not know about me.

My partner and I headed to Turangi for the hot rod club AGM. He is on the committee. I was there for the social side of things. And very good the social side of things was too. There is something genuinely lovely about kicking back, relaxing and catching up with a really cool bunch of people. No agenda. No rushing. Just good conversation and good company.

Which brings me to what I actually want to tell you.

Last weekend I did something I hardly ever do.

I took a whole day off...!

I know. Try to contain your shock.

I reorganised my wardrobe, baked blueberry and white chocolate muffins and shared them with my family. Pretty delicious too if I do say so myself.

And for one whole glorious day I did not think about work at all.

Well. Almost.

Because here is the thing about doing work that genuinely matters to you. It has a way of sneaking back in. Not in a stressful way. More like a quiet tap on the shoulder reminding you why you do what you do.

This morning I took a day off work and tackled my rental property.

Now, handywoman is not exactly a title I would put on my CV. But there was no one else available and the place needed a spruce up. So I got stuck in.

I cleaned with gusto. Found the paint, the brushes and the drop sheets. Started with a touch up here and a touch up there. And then, before I knew it, I had the roller in my hand and I was rolling the walls in my very cumbersome and uncoordinated manner.

I could practically visualise my heavenly husband cringing behind his fluffy white cloud, hands over his eyes at the execution of my work.