Another lovely day in the capital. I’ve just returned from chaplain’s assembly at Queen Margaret’s College. It was a live-stream service led by Rev Deborah Wilson the chaplain in which girls participated with readings and prayers. The theme was Mother’s Day. I look forward to their Founder’s Day celebrations in August this year.
This Sunday is “Mother’s Day” I like to call it “Significant Woman’s Day” because not all women are mothers and some of us are mother’s to the extended family children in our families but not necessarily our biological children. When I was at St. Andrew’s Henderson, they used to refer to me as the mother of the church and all the children were my spiritual children. The men in the church would lead the service and also serve lunch afterwards and when it was Father’s Day the women would lead and also serve lunch afterwards. In many Samoan churches the mother’s take the whole service.
For me personally, I don’t think I had a maternal bone in my body in my younger days, having children was never high on my list of priorities while my biological clock could produce them. But when I got married late in life I was no longer able to have children I suddenly felt the urge to have a child when I no longer was able. What’s that about? I have no regrets, I have wondered what it would be like to see little Fei’s running around but my nieces are more than enough.
I want to pay tribute to my mum Viola Sooialo Schwenke Taule’ale’ausumai, I miss her dearly. She was the heart and soul of our family alongside my dear father Fa’asiu. They were a formidable team. Mum was a registered nurse who trained in Samoa and came to Aotearoa NZ in 1953 to continue her nursing. Unfortunately her nursing qualification was not recognised here even though it was New Zealand teachers who taught them. In response she formed the Samoan Nurses Registration Association of New Zealand and they campaigned for years for recognition which they did eventually gained. Mum went on to found the West Auckland Sexual Abuse Centre and West Auckland Women’s Refuge. The Fono which is now a huge Pacific Health care provider in the whole of Auckland was also founded by my mother and a few stalwart women alongside her. She received a Queen’s Service Medal for all her work.
Some people say “we are our mother’s daughters”, I hope that I am atleast half the woman my mum was. Even though we were grown adults she still would say when we disagreed with her “I am your mother” which meant listen to me, whether you are right or whether you are wrong I am your mother.
God bless all our significant women. Fei
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