Emily Writes Weekly

💞You can now find me at my new online whare: www.emilywrites.co.nz 💞 See you there! 💖

Kia ora! Usually, right now, you’d be getting Friday Night Chats if you’re a paid subscriber. Instead - you’re getting this! I had really hoped not to miss Friday Night Chats, but the move from Substack to Ghost has been really challenging. I’m so grateful to Josh Drummond for helping me move. He’s been an absolute lifesaver, and truly, I am so glad I hired him to help me. I could never have managed this on my own.

Welcome to Friday Night Chats! I am so happy you are here. Welcome new friends I am so grateful you decided to join us. Friday Night Chats is our time to unwind and relax and share things that made us happy (or made us want to scream). Let’s go! Share So, I know many of you follow and love and his newsletter Webworm. If so, you may have seen that he is leavin…

Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick was ejected from the debating chamber yesterday by Speaker Gerry Brownlee for saying: "If we find six of 68 government MPs with a spine, we can stand on the right side of history”.

I lie in bed, my black and white kitten on one side and my fluffy puppy on the other. They both curl into me, warming themselves on my skin. And my little boy hums and writes his lists, a hot water bottle on his lap. I don’t want to get up. I turn the volume down to silent on my phone, and I start reading my messages. Devastation from Gaza - every day. Every moment of every day. Horror on horror and grief that is truly unimaginable. I get the children off to school.

Kia ora! Welcome to Friday Night Chats. I am in Tauranga. Tomorrow is my wee nephew’s first birthday! He will be thoroughly spoiled by me (as is my job as aunty!) and he will be doted on by his cousins. So I might be a bit in and out - It’s just me with the boys, so my husband can have a well-deserved break. Let’s chat! I’ve been thinking about the piece…

As parents, we are often told ‘you need a village’, then in the same breath, ‘there’s no village anymore’. It can feel pretty rubbish. I mean, there’s nothing worse than feeling isolated and then feeling like you’re to blame for that isolation. It’s not easy to build a village. But like everything, it starts with one small step. So I figured I’d take a step
hopefully with you.

Last week, my son and I sat side-by-side working. I sent donations out from our Aotearoa to Gaza mutual aid fund, and he worked on the website for his first fundraiser. He has been busy for weeks organising his fundraiser - Kids Rock 4 Palestine - and I've noticed a lightness in him since he started. When the world feels scary and you feel hopeless, I genuinely believe the only thing that helps with these fears and overwhelm is action.

Welcome to Friday Night Chats! We had an enormous week with the mutual aid fund, sending out more than $20,000 in donations directly to families in Gaza. It’s pretty incredible. And my boy has been flat out organising his own fundraiser for Kiwi Trust for Palestinian Children and Convoys of Good. Our weekend will likely be very admin-heavy! So let’s cha…

Today is a big day - 36,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants will strike for 24 hours. From 9am tomorrow, pickets and marches will be held across the motu. I had a chat to Hilary Gardner from the Nurses union to find out why nurses are striking and what we can do to support them. Here’s a quick explainer - everything you need to know and nothing you don’t! I think I have a fair idea given I’ve seen all of the news about resourcing issues and safety but why exactly are nurses striking?