16/07/2024
😮💨💔 RIL Norm…
Today was a day of reflection -
The year I started working on a very important programme was 2007, 50/50 split with Auckland and NZ SPCA - 7 years on the road across the country. SPCA One of the Family 🐾
I walked up to Norm Hewitt, shook his hand and said ‘Look forward to working with you’. 😳 Like - does he not know who I am 🙄🤦♀️
Animal welfare education was MY gig…and I really didn’t care if you were the King of Egypt, Michael Jackson’s brother or a President - I’d worked so dam hard to get our animal welfare values based programmes into our Auckland schools - that holy heck I’m making sure this was going to be done 110%.
We cracked it.
Over 100,000 kids saw our presentation - across the 7 years myself and a FANTASTIC team of dedicated spca educators and SPCA centre workers worked on delivering our One of the Family schools programme from Te Hāpua to The Bluff.
I got to know Norm on a very close and connected level - he taught me how to believe in myself and know your worth…and for that I am extremely grateful.
We travelled from February to November every couple or 3 weeks - 2-4 days in the most beautiful of places just so we could get to the schools that NO ONE ever visited - that was the biggest feedback from Principals of our NZ rural schools.
2007 was also the year I became a solo parent again 🙄 now of 5 kids, youngest was turning 2. My kids have always known that our family values for our animals in our home is as important as they were - so when I travelled, they were left to take care of the cats, dogs, fish, lizards and chickens…and Nan - well Nan made sure the kids were alive when I returned home (I think the kids kept her alive tbh).
My kids loved what I did and never stopped me once - ever from leaving home - the dogs on the other hand would sulk when the suitcase came out…I missed a lot of my kids younger years to spend with most of NZ Year 7&8 kids 🫠😮💨 …and to my kids…thanks for letting me go tell crack up stories about all of you to random kids!
Would I do it again? - in a heart beat 💕
The connections and conversations started, teachers, councils, animal control, police, support workers, women’s refuge, Plunket…all of them - every single one had an animal story…and every single one knew of/heard about either a broken child or animal in a broken home.
Norm lifted the animal welfare conversations to a level I knew was always needed…and this programme made people feel uncomfortable, sad, joyful, raw and vulnerable - this was how our communities grew strong in changing/breaking cycles….
I know you will be having the biggest rest Norm - you deserve it - I’ll catch you up again one day…not just yet though…still sorting families and pets 💕🐾
