Chey Milne: Being with whanau is best Christmas gift

Chey Milne.

We have come to the end of another year and Christmas is here. In amongst all of the chaos that this season brings with work functions, present buying and planning for the big day we can often get caught up in the hype. But for some this time of the year brings a whole lot of chaos for other reasons. Many often find Christmas to be a struggle to get through and sadly some of those families are those of the workers that have lost their jobs with Tachikawa. Many of those workers were the bread winners of their whanau and now have to face a Christmas unemployed. At Te Arawa FM we decided that 'tis the season of giving and we wanted to offer support during this tough time. Together with Export Meats and the extended Tachikawa whanau, we were able to offer 10 of the 60 families nominated by the community meat packs for the Christmas season.

In today's day and age, we can be guilty of being rather materialistic and this added pressure for parents can make Christmas a difficult time. I think the true meaning of Christmas can sometimes get a bit lost in all the chaos and we need to remember that being safe and healthy with whanau is by far the best present we could receive. Lending a helping hand to those who are finding it tough this season can also spread the joy far and wide. I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. Remember some are not as fortunate as others.

Be safe, be healthy, have a happy Christmas and we look forward to entertaining you on our airwaves in 2014. Nga mihi.

Chey Milne is one half of the breakfast team at Te Arawa FM.

Maori translation:

Kua tae tatou ki te mutunga o te tau, ka mutu kei konei a Kirihimete. A, i roto i tenei wa me ona tu ahua katoa, ka mama to ngaromanga ki tua o tawauwau. Heoi, mo etahi, ka
noa atu tenei wa me ona tu ahuaranga. Mo etahi, ka pakeke marika te Kirihimete, a, e pa pouri ana tenei mo nga whanau o era i kaimahi i whakakorea o ratou mahi i Tachikawa, ina, he nui tonu ratou i noho hei matua whangai mo te whanau. Kua noho kore mahi ratou i tenei wa. No reira, ta te mea koia tenei ko te wa mo te tuku, i manako nui a Te Arawa FM ki te tautoko i era whanau i pa nei ki tenei kaupapa. Me te awhina a Export Meats me te whanau whanui o Tachikawa, i tukuna e matou he poha kai miiti ki nga whanau tekau o roto i nga ingoa ono tekau i tukuna mai e te hapori.

I enei ra nei e taea ana te kii ko rawa, ko taputapu te matamua o nga whakaaro, na whai ano, ka pakeke ake te wa o te kirihimete mo nga matua. Ki a au, ko te ito o tenei mea te kirihimete ko te awhina a tetahi i tetahi me te whakanui i te nohonga tahi me te nohonga koa o te whanau. E mihi ana ki nga kaiwhakarongo a Te Arawa FM me te tumanako ka hari tenei wa ki a koutou, me te whai whakaaro ano hoki ki era kaore e pera rawa te maringa nui. Kia haumaru te noho, kia koa, mauri ora mo Kirihimete, hei te tau 2014 kahoki mai ki te reo irangi whakangahau ai i a koutou. Nga mihi.