President's Pen
A TIME TO REFLECT, PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK, BE THANKFUL AND LOOK FORWARD By Kim Porthouse
As the festive season descends upon us it is time to reflect on the year behind us, revel in our successes, pat ourselves on the back for meeting the challenges that have come our way and plan for the next year. COVID-19 has certainly brought us all challenges we were never expecting to face, and I spoke of some of these in my last column, so won’t be dwelling on them again. Instead I am choosing to now think of all the positives that the year brought. Although COVID impacted on all of them and increased the challenges within them, it only makes me prouder of the year’s achievements. For me personally, I reflect on my oldest son’s marriage, Brendon and I moving into a new home, the renovations of that home, travel (within NZ) to visit family and celebrate a niece’s first birthday, my foot surgery that promises to reduce pain and improve mobility, Brendon’s incredible adaptation over the past year to being a school leaver and having to build a new normal, and his general (if somewhat grumpy at times) resilience to the changes COVID-19 bought to his life.
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I have also become so much more thankful – of mine and my family’s health, of the friends I have, for the job I have, and of the management of COVID in our country and the freedoms we have. My wish is that all of you are able to take a moment and identify the blessings and the positives that have come your way this year and take those gifts to look forward to Christmas and the new year ahead. The positive work of the NZDSA Despite COVID-19 curbing both local and national events, the NZDSA has also had reasons to celebrate 2020. A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes over recent years to bring the NZDSA into the 21st century by building database and website capabilities that will better serve the online needs of our families/whānau as well as the carers and professionals who support our community. The culmination was the launch of our new website on World Down Syndrome Day which has opened up so much more information and resources to those who need them.
