Paula’s Tea Towel Story

I do not know Paula; I haven’t met her but she is a friend of a close friend of mine.  That’s good enough for me.  This is their story:

“This tea towel was a lovely Christmas present from Paula.  My friend Paula is holding the tea towel.  She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.  I met Paula several years ago, in a workshop about ‘stumbling blocks’: that is, what is stopping us from moving forward.  Paula created a fantastic collage of her dream, living close to the sea, close to her grandchildren and having the opportunity to be settled with her family.

Her ‘stumbling block’ was her lovely Mum, Betty, who was approaching her ninetieth year and, although frail, encouraged Paula to follow her dream.  Torn though she was, Paula set off to New Zealand where she has developed an Air B&B business.  And this is where I stepped in, as ‘the other Paula’.

Paula has been in New Zealand for the past three years, her business is going well and she spends many happy times with her grandchildren, her son and his wife.  She lives close to the beach and still keeps the collage she made all those years ago, she is part of the family she longed for, and, as her mum told her to do, – she followed her dream.

Each year Paula returns to England for a while to spend time with Betty; it’s great to see them swapping tales and enjoying being together.  Part of my family live in New Zealand, which strengthens the  links between Paula and I.  I understood her collage and ‘her stumbling block’ – but what a fine example of how a dream can become true.  I am honoured that Paula sought my help, and trusted me enough, to support her Mum, which I thoroughly enjoy.  They are both fine women.

The tea towel represents friendship and how, by trusting friends, we can overcome some of the stumbling blocks in life.  Hey!  Next year I will visit my own family and will stay in Paula’s B&B.

In my experience, New Zealand is a country that loves, and values, tea towels.  For someone who hasn’t been to New Zealand, I seem to have a lot of New Zealand tea towels, tea towels with maps or kiwis or wildlife so Paula’s tea towel is a wonderful traditional tea towel.  Thank you for a lovely Tea Towel Story.