26 MAY 2017
“My darlings. Our leaders of the future, I
salute you both. It is because of you I
learnt the necessary skills and from the
bottom of my heart, I developed the ways of
thinking to properly raise you. According to
the central theme of the whakataukî, ‘In
togetherness is health, in separation is loss.’
It is because of you both that this whānau is strengthened andbrought together as one, despite the slings and arrows of outrageous
fortune. My precious darlings, whatever occurs, we remain constant
inourloveforeachother.
I am so proud of you holding onto your dreams, your wisdomabout the health of the wider world, love of children, the earth, the
sea, the forests and creatures.
Being your mother is the most important role I have. I am sofortunate to experience the bonds between us. Our habitual
exchange of ideas inspires me because of your creativity, your
values and high principles.
I look beyond the horizon to my dreams for you both, the mostimportant being your holistic wellbeing, your care of others, and
your humility. I cast my mind back to when you were born. A new
world that opened up and literally blew my mind! I had no idea
before that time of the extraordinary flood of love for you both that
I experienced. Something extraordinary happened! Over time,
when you were growing up, my goodness, my darlings, when it
came to hard-case you guys took the cake! If it hadn’t been for you
both I never would have understood the depths of love, and
similarly, I was better able to understand my parents and those
generations who have gone before.
My treasures, my heart cannot describe all that it encompasseswhen I think of all the blessings you have given to me.”
E ngā kuku o te manawa,
Ngā rangatira mō āpōpō, nei a mihi ka
rere ki a kōrua.
Mō kōrua i ako mai ai i ngā pūkengā hei
whakawhanake i tēnei whatumanawa, nā
kōrua hoki au i ako kia tika taku whāngai i a
kōrua. He tika te kaupapa matua o te
whakataukī nei “he ora te whakapiri, he mate
te whakatākiri”.
Nākōruaipakariai,ikotahiaitōtātou
whānau, ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke o tēnei
ao hurihuri. E ngā kairangi matahiapō, ahakoa
te aha, ka tū tonu tātou i roto i te aroha.
Kei te tino poho kererū au ki tō kōrua kaha ki te
ū ki ō kōrua wawata, tō kōrua whakaaro nui ki
te hauora ō te ao whānui, tō matihere ki ngā
tamariki, ki a Papatūānuku, ki a Tangaroa, ki
TeWaoNuiaTānehoki.
Ko tōku tino tūranga ko tōku tū hei Whaea mō
kōrua. Nōku te māringanui kia whai i ngā
hononga i waengaiatātou.Wānangatahiana
tātou, ka whakaohoa tōku wairua, ā ka mīharo
au ki tō kōrua auahatanga me te kaha i roto i ō
kōrua uara, ō kōrua mātāpono hoki.
Ka mātiro whakamua ahau ki ōku moemoeā
mō kōrua, ko ngā mea nui ko ō kōrua oranga, ō
kōrua wairua pai, ngākau nui ki ngā tāngata
katoa, ngākau māhaki hoki.
Ka hoki ōku mahara ki te wā i whānau mai ai
kōrua. He ao hou ka hua mai, wehe atu au i te
rekareka,tēaroiaauimuaitauawā,te
mutunga kē mai o te puke aroha! Haramai
tētahi āhua! Nāwai, nāwai ka tipu mai kōrua, e
hika mā, ngā kuru pounamu, mō te hatekehi
kāore he painga! Mei kore ake kōrua kua kore
auimāramakiterētōtangaotearoha,otirā,i
pai ake taku mārama ki te mahi a ō tātou
mātua, tūpuna.
E ngā huia kaimanawa, aku kati karamea, he
kokonga ngākau e kore i kitea.
(Sincere thanks to Stacey Morrison for her
support in writing this.) Te Reo translation
printed at Hinemoa’s request.Hinemoa Elder for daughter Millie
(28) and son Reuben (25)
ABOVE: Hinemoa with baby daughter Millie. HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY MELLE VAN SAMBEEK AND CLAUDIA RODRIGUES. KATE WEARS DRESS FROM ZARA AND NECKLACE FROM ANNAH STRETTON. MAX WEARS SHIRT FROM COUNTRY ROAD, CARDI AND JEANS @ SMITH AND CAUGHEY’S. NOELLE WEARS DRESS FROM MISS CRABB.HINEMOA WEARS DRESS FROM ZARA, EARRINGS FROM HARMAN GRUBISA AND NECKLACES FROM LOVISA AND HINEMOA’S OWN.