I feel anxiety as our son lives on Coogee beach in Sydney, Australia.

I feel tautness in my body, whether it be neck pain or leg muscle strain.

I feel worry, and nervousness and as we navigate through the covid alert levels.

I feel conflict and friction when Marie-Louise and I have a difference of opinion.

I feel hostility when I see the assembling of illegally protest.

I feel stress when timeline milestones are due.

I have a mistrust around of our legal system as Māori are disproportionately represented in incarceration.

I have concern about the Aotearoa health system as Māori have a high representation in poor health statistic.

I have a wariness about the education system here in Aotearoa as again Māori represent a high number of low achievers in our school results.

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I feel a sense of relief when we FaceTime or receive a message or see a FB post from our son, signalling the fact that he is alive and ok.

I feel a sense of respite when I have a warm wheatie bag on my neck and shoulders and a sense of release after my fortnightly massage appointment.

I feel a sense of excitement when I watch the number of community cases go down when reported in the 1 o’clock covid tv report.

I feel a sense of opportunity after a difference of opinion is worked through with Marie-Louise

I feel a sense of validation when I hear that the organisers of illegal assembling for protest are being prosecuted in our courts.

I feel relaxed when timeline milestones are met.

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However, when issues of inequality is being exacerbated by institutional marginalisation, the positive senses of relief, respite, excitement, opportunity, validation and relaxed are overwhelmed by the feelings of anxiety, tautness, worry, conflict, friction, hostility, stress, mistrust, concern, and wariness; which amplify the feelings of oppression, domination, subjugation, persecution and repression.

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We need more GREEN words in our lives

My mission is to take away the RED words and replace them with more GREEN words.

Te hei mauri ora