Given that I am in the last few days of a trip to New Zealand, I have the feeling that many of my next posts will have something to do with this land and this trip. Sense-making may take a while. My 18 year-old son and I have been on a Dad / Son trip, which has been utter privilege. Friend and colleague Glen Lauder has been our wonderful host.
This photo includes Kapiti Island as seen from a beach in Paekakariki, about an hour north of Wellington. The body of water is the Tasman Sea. I drew the spiral, the koru in Maori, because I like the shape. It symbolizes among other things, new life with attention to both the center and the unfolding. And for this day, some simple fun with my son Isaac.
Kapiti is a kind of preserve of NZ’s habitat, which we have seen many of during this trip. I appreciate the noticeable commitment and care in this island country to quality of life, including its preserves.
This Dad / Son journey punctuates a shift from my son’s youth to his adulthood. It’s not so clean, of course. But it is a deliberate trip that also has unfolding and center. For him, and for me.