stopped in the street
“We saw you in the paper,” the dental nurses enthused when we descended upon them for the children’s annual check (one more item checked off the To Do List).
Walking home afterwards we stopped to chat with a friend (that’s one of the nice things about walking instead of taking a car). As we talked, another local lady walked by and halted long enough to ask if we had seen our piece on tv – we hadn’t. Who knows what that was about? (hopefully it wasn’t based too closely on the newspaper article – our friends have been playing *Spot The Mistake* with that 😉 )
We turned the final corner…….a runner approached, slowed and then stopped. She smilingly panted, “Are you the family in the paper? What you’re doing is amazing – what an experience for your kids. They’ll never forget it. I could never do it, but wow. Good on you.”
At the afternoon visit to the Medical Centre (to arrange immunity-checking-blood tests) conversation turned again to the paper, “We’ve got your picture up in our staffroom”!!
Cross the road and down to the butcher where we were greeted by the ever-friendly assistant, “Hi Famous Lady”.
I flashed her a smile and we all engaged in more-than-polite-conversation. I don’t want to be famous. I just want to do my job well, brighten the day of those I come across, inspire my children and live intentionally. Sure, we’re doing something a bit out of the ordinary…..but that’s just us.
We may not want fame (well, OK, let’s be honest – the kids think that bit’s great, even if it is just in our wee corner of the world), but we do want to use our opportunities to heap as much good on others as we can. And if our smiling picture will put the gift of literacy into the hands of a child in Laos who otherwise would not have had access to a future outside of dire poverty, then I’ll smile all day long.
Tags: fundraising, interview
rayres
what does the article say Rach?
Here’s the link: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/4549907a22402.html
Jen, you’ll find it tricky to play spot-the-mistake, not knowing us-n-all – heehee
Your family is so so inspirational! My husband, baby and I are leaving on June 8th for a 7 month trip from Australia to Poland for Christmas with the family. There is so much to organise with just our one little one .. can’t possibly imagine the team work you guys have got going. Will definitely be following your adventures. Good luck with the auction! Also, can I ask what the Polish connection is?
Witamy!
Aha, the Polish connection. My husband and I got married on a Saturday and left NZ headed for Europe on the Monday (that was all seventeen years ago now!). We wanted to go to Russia, but they wouldn’t let us in. Instead we met an American couple in Holland…parted company for the summer….and when we met them again later they had procured letters from a school offering us jobs if we wanted them. Well, why not? So began our love affair *w Krakowie*.
Ale maly swiat! I rarely hear someone going to live in and experience Poland, it’s usually people leaving so its nice to hear. I was born there, left at 8, went back at 17 and now finally going to see my babcia again after all this time 🙂
thanks Rachael just wanted to read it thats all
all the best with your upcoming adventure
it was neat reading what youll be up thanks heaps