I need a break

Hey you,

Thank you for being part of the good stuff.

This year has been hard for a huge chunk of our country. I know it feels like people say this every year, but as someone who spends December speaking with parents reaching out for help, and to others doing the same work, trust me when I say it’s been harder than most.

You’ve probably felt it too.

I definitely have. Each of those requests is a parent going out on a limb and sharing their situation with strangers. They’re coming to us in the hope that they won’t need to explain to their kids why they don’t get Christmas.

Those kōrero sit heavy, and there’s been so much of it - I have to try really hard to stop it spilling over to my own whānau and health. I definitely don’t always achieve that.

Like many of those individual sufferings we’re not meant to carry on our own, community is the antidote. Kotahitanga - collective action, connectedness, unity.

Whether you took part in our regular Shoebox Christmas mahi, helped out a parent who has asked directly, shared the posts, or just read the newsletter and told someone about it, you’re a part of that community, so thank you.

Knowing you’re there and that a community cares gives hope to those families. They see the world care about them, and for their children in particular, your act of aroha - whether an actual present, or your presence and willingness to help - has the power to change how they care about the world.

It gives hope to the rest of the community. The others reading this newsletter know we’re there for each other if and when we need it - and we all need it eventually; humans need community, it’s literally in our DNA.

And it gives me hope knowing that even when the pōuri (sadness) and weight of December does shift to me and my whānau, and when my own anxieties are highest, wondering how we’re going to be able to help all those who have reached out - you’re here, and that together, we’re here. Even as those voices continue to tell us “the world is about me, not we”.

Ours is a community of hope. From me, personally: thank you.

On that note, I won’t be checking the inbox for a while. I owe my own kids and whānau some time.

After that, I’ll continue working on Kaha Create, a project I paused so I could help here where I was needed more. It’s not an LMS (Learning Management System) - though that’s probably the closest thing. It’s an A*LMS - an AI-powered Actionable Learning and Mātauranga System. I started building it to help with some Shoebox Christmas challenges, and it’s been really helpful so far - saving me weeks I didn’t have - and I’m really excited to make it just as useful for the rest of the world.

I’d love to hear what you think (especially if you think it might help you or your team share knowledge, learning or training. Please have a look if you have a minute: www.kahacreate.com

Learn more

In the meantime, I hope you spend some time over Christmas with those you love. I hope you connect with those around you and remember community is the antidote. In 2026 I think we’re all going to need it even more.

Mai te ngākau iti, he mihi aroha ki a koe, koutou ko tō whānau - love and appreciation to you and your family.

Pera