Verna | Waiheke Island
“I have to be honest and say, no I don’t have any regrets in what I have done or achieved in my life. Not at all.
Well, because if you look to the future and not look to the past then, then you’ve got a positive outlook on life, and I think about my decision-making very carefully. So, when I do make decisions, even if they are a struggle at the time, I know that it, it is going to be a positive outcome by the time I get through those difficulties. Yeah, so there’s no point in regretting what you’re doing. You just move on and, and enjoy your time or your life as it is, yeah.
I got married when I was 20 years old and had four children; three daughters and a son, and the marriage lasted 12 years, and that would have been the first decision that I made to, to move on and do something different without, without a partner. So, I don’t regret now although it was a big struggle. It would have been a struggle, and there is a period of my life, for 20 years I lived in Hamilton, went to university at 45, and studied to be an early childhood teacher, which was one of the major achievements in my life, was to, to get my degree in teaching, and spent teaching up until five years ago.
I value family, my family in life. I have grown up in Whakatane for the first 16 years. I did my schooling there, and left home at that age, did some nursing down in Napier. I went down and worked in the bank in Nelson, and I worked in Cadbury Fry Hudson when it was in Dunedin back then.
I moved to Waiheke five years ago, when I finished teaching and bought my retirement home here. There might have been a bit of a doubt whether or not moving to Waiheke was the best move, but that was just because I had to start making new friends, and just learning about a new environment, and settle. I’m settled now. It’s really good. All positive. You can’t change what you’ve done, so you know, there’s no point in dwelling on it. Just look to the future. Remember what your dreams are, what your goals were, and keep that as your focus. When you do have to rise above anxiety or doubt, just work from day to day, and just think positive. Go for a walk. Enjoy life.”
