Welcome
Travelling to Wellington, New Zealand is a lovely annual event for me to spend precious time with my elder son Digby, daughter in law Kate and three wonderful and active grandchildren.
This year I also ventured to Albury, in eastern Australia, to share valuable time with dear friends I have known since our teenage years.
Following Ancestral Footsteps
When with my good friends in Albury, we travelled to Eaglehawk, a suburb of Bendigo, which is four hours from Albury to investigate where my paternal great grandfather had established a general store to cater to the needs of the huge numbers of gold miners in the early 1870’s. They all came to make their fortunes, as gold had recently been discovered in the Bendigo area.
My great grandfather, Hugh McKenzie, had arrived with his family from Balintore, in the Highlands of Scotland, a few years earlier, seeking a better life and considered he would do well catering for the miners needs instead of searching for gold!
It was for me an emotional moment when we found a very old ruin of a building on what we considered the site of the original store. Whether it is the same building (perhaps improved over time) or not, is not the most important thing for me. It is important I was able to stand on the earth where my courageous forebear had established his first significant business in Australia.
The Secret to a Fulfilling Life
For me, connecting with our genetic forebears and acknowledging with gratitude our bloodline and their efforts, connecting lovingly with our present family members and also staying connected with beautiful life long friends and present friends who honour and understand us, as we do them, is the secret to a happier and more fulfilling life.
I am writing this at Easter and it is a time for many of us to reflect and re-appraise our lives. Value all that is precious to you.
With blessings
Merriene
April 2017