Almost a year ago now, I wrote a blog about calendars – why I make them, how I started, and why I started again. Hard to believe another one’s been done – and this time, they’re public.

Nga Marama o Te Tau (Months of The Year) 2015 was a hard slog this time. Although I hadn’t planned on it, last year was a busy one. Amidst the illustrating, I was doing some free-lance (emphasis on free) design work for some friends, we carried on with house renovations, and I got a new job (which I really love). Hemi was patient as life carried on at high speed. The calendar got done eventually – much later than I’d planned for, but I’m proud of it, and it was worthwhile. I think Hemi and his crew have never looked better – and I’m getting to know them pretty well now, after having had such a long hiatus where we fell out of touch.

Times like the ringing in of the new year lend themselves to reflection. We look back on what we’ve achieved, plan to catch up on the things we didn’t get around to, and think about the people we miss. Some of them have simply fallen out of touch. Others, we have lost.

This year, when i was packaging up calendars for the whanau (family), it hit me. I was only packaging up two for “the aunties” because now, Nan is one of only three of our precious kuia left – but we’d never have considered that this time last year. Aunty Matty and Aunty Dolly passed away within weeks of each other, leaving us only enough time to say our goodbyes – it left many of us in shock, and a family reeling.

Our beloved Gisborne aunties are treasured memories for us all. One day, those of us lucky enough to keep ringing in the new year, will ourselves, become the elders in our tribe. Like the changing of the seasons, the family tree sheds it leaves, as new branches keep growing. It’s something I’ve been thinking about this week as we reflect on those who have passed…

We must be present always for our family and friends and never find ourselves too busy to love them, listen to them, and learn from them. When they are gone, we should be prepared to keep the home fires burning – and nothing, should ever have been left unsaid. Happy New Year whanau.

– Kereama

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