Seer & Wilde Community: An open discussion within our Seer & Wilde community regarding Vaccination, Hesitancy, Social Media and our Mental Health

Over the past few months we have seen New Zealand become extremely separated. I know this topic can be uncomfortable for some people, but it's a conversation we have to have. I will always want to speak on the things that matter, and right now, this is what matters most.

I have learnt a lot about reading our community's thoughts on this pandemic. The one thing I can promise you, is that nobody is wrong. Every single message or email I received came from a genuine and honest belief that what they are doing is right for themselves and their family. I also learnt that the hate and anger is achieving nothing. Separating society will do nothing but seriously harm one another. I am so glad that I was able to take people's words and share them with you all in hopes that after this, we can take a deep breath, be more understanding of each other, and be more careful with our words.

I was reading my daughter a book this morning and I found a quote that seemed fitting, “If you want things to change, you first have to change you” (The Lion Inside By Rachel Bright)  It seemed fitting as right now, the change starts with us. If we are open and willing to have these conversations with an open mind then that is when the change begins. We only hear what we are ready to hear, so I know that it has to be on your own time, but when you are ready to be open, then that is when the change starts and the healing begins.

I had so many amazing women reach out and want to put their fears, beliefs and struggles down on paper for you all to read. I was only able to use a few stories, but I made sure to offer you all a very diverse group of opinions. These 7 stories reflected very similar stories by others, and you can either read them by a question at a time, or by each person. I have labeled our speakers as Vaccinated 1 or Vaccine Hesitant 1 etc as this needed to be anonymous. 

* Please note I have chosen to use the word Vaccine Hesitant as that is exactly what it is. Yes there are also people who are anti-vaccination but we really do need to be far more careful with the words we are using, as categorising people without truly knowing their reasons is not the right thing to do. We also need to understand that on both sides there are extreme views being shown on social media and sometimes we let this small minority cause us to put everyone into that same box. It is so much more complicated than that, and that is why I am encouraging these conversations so we can get a look into what is actually going on behind the scenes.

I am not asking you to agree with these opinions, all I am asking is for you to read them all with an open mind, and an open heart.


Can you please write if you are Pro V or V hesitant - and why you have made that decision, and if an outside influence contributed to that?

Vaccinated 1 - Pro V. I have always had trust in the medical industry; I've been vaccinated fully from my childhood and so is my daughter so for me getting the covid vaccine was a no brainer. This disease (Covid 19) can be absolutely debilitating - you don't just have to die to be impacted horribly if you catch it. I have many friends and family living overseas where the pandemic has been out of control and they're much less sheltered than we are here. They know plenty of young and healthy people who have been totally decimated by it - unable to get out of bed for over a year, dealing with horrific side effects of long covid that have changed their lives. I also have people in my life who could get very sick if they caught the disease and so I am doing my bit to protect them.

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - I have decided to not have the V. I am not against vaccination, I have had my childhood vaccinations as have both my children. This one felt different for me straight away and as things have progressed I feel even more strongly against it. The level of bias portrayed by every mainstream media outlet in NZ and the way in which our government officials have used measures of force, bribery ect does not sit well with me.  In my opinion, a 'one size fits all' method will always set some up to fail, the people of NZ have been given one choice and one choice only.

Vaccinated 2 - ​​I was V hesitant but still got vaccinated - got my second jab just this past Saturday! I think I was apprehensive because there’s such an abundance of information and I tend to be quite distrusting of the media - mainstream or otherwise. Because I don’t have a background in science I had to base my decision on emotion. If getting vaccinated was to help my whanau in any way then I felt it was the right thing to do.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - I am V hesitant. I had a miscarriage early in the year so I have been healing from that and my husband and I had to wait a few months before we could try again. We made a decision not to take the vaccine while we were going through that process. To be honest I don’t want anything in my body that may potentially affect getting pregnant, and that relates to a lot of things other than the vaccine so we are just being really careful right now.  We are probably more sensitive than others towards this due to our loss, however we have looked at the data and spoken directly with Pfizer for guidance so at this stage we are just waiting it out.

Vaccinated 3 - I am vaccinated. At the start of the year I was vaccine hesitant, purely for the fact of fertility in the near future. The more reading I did and information came out that it actually has little effect on a lot of factors. Then NZ got covid, I wanted to be able to protect myself, my family and the kids I teach - under 12 - We are hopefully having our wedding at the end of the year and want to be able to celebrate with all the ones we love.

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - I am hesitant about this vaccine, because in all fairness this is not a “typical vaccine” as mRNA has never been used before so I believe I have every right to be cautious. I have had all of my vaccines and so has my husband and children. I also very much believe in natural health. I understand that people think wellness/natural health means we are not pro medicine but that's not true. What I believe is that vaccines work and help, but they cannot be the only source. If you are vaccinated or not, everyone must take care of themselves because our mental health and immune system is all we have to fight against disease. Yes, vaccines are additional help but if you're unhealthy and your body is sick then vaccines can only do so much. We need to understand that to fight covid, we also need to look at preventative care, mental health and boosting our immune system as covid is not going anywhere and relying on a vaccine only strategy is ridiculous. 

Vaccinated 4 - I have had my first dose a few weeks ago and will be having my next in November. I felt hesitant about having the vaccine from the moment it was released overseas, purely because I felt that I didn't have enough information yet. Plus, I felt bombarded by everyone else's opinions. One of my initial fears was around its testing, especially when it came to fertility/pregnancy as I am 29 and will be starting to think about children in the near future. I did research myself, found sources of information that I trusted and spoke to my husband and family members. In the end, I still didn't feel 100% comfortable with getting the vaccine but I felt I had alleviated most of my fears. 



What are your thoughts of others whose opinion differs from your own?

Vaccinated 1 - I understand wanting to ask questions and being hesitant, as for many adults this will be the first vaccine they've had in a long time, especially if they haven't traveled to places in Asia or Africa during their adulthood (where you need vaccines before leaving NZ). But I think that social media and the rise of a kind of "question everything" mentality has really amped up the fear for a lot of people. I do understand some of the hesitancy (especially if you have a strong immune system and are focused on being natural, wellness, etc) and in a perfect world covid wouldn't exist and I would not have needed to be vaccinated! However, I think a big proportion of vaccine hesitant people are misinformed. Some of the rhetoric I've seen online is wildly untrue and very irresponsible and the people posting have no business promoting health decisions on this scale to their audience. To me, this is a scary disease that doesn't discriminate and can absolutely affect you even if you're young and healthy - but mostly I don't really understand that decision I'm afraid. I find it a little selfish. Then of course there are those that don't believe covid is real, or that the vaccines are a conspiracy and so on. I find that very difficult to buy into and so I don't really think having a conversation with those people would do either of us any good.

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - I do not view someone having a different opinion as a bad thing, I am always willing to listen and try my very best to meet them with understanding. I can see how both sides have arrived at the choice they have made.

Vaccinated 2 - It’s a very personal decision. As long as they are being safe while out and about (wearing masks, social distancing, sanitising hands etc) then I don’t feel the need to force my opinion on them. However I think the government is creating a lot of divide restricting our movements till we are 90% vaccinated. People are so frustrated and antsy to have restrictions ease that they are obviously turning these feelings towards those who are stopping us reaching that 90% - It's not good for our communities.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - I am 100% pro choice, and always have been. Even if I end up getting the vaccine I will always support those who don’t. What was the point of my great grandfather going to war if I wasn't? They fought for our rights and body autonomy so I would be able to make my own decisions regarding my own body, so I would never not be understanding of others. Honestly, it's impossible for all 4 million of us to agree with one another, so we have to be more open and considerate of others as navigating different opinions is a part of life.

Vaccinated 3 - This is interesting, if they can’t even justify why they don’t want it that makes me upset. We have close family who don’t want to be vaccinated when they are happy to take recreational drugs regularly. I find some people are just being selfish, selfish to those who work front line, selfish to those who have cancer or illness, selfish to families who can not be together due to lockdowns, selfish to those who are struggling with mental health, selfish to those kids especially the families with health conditions and selfish to those who might need to be hospitalised in the near future with something non-covid related but life threatening. 

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - I am always encouraging open discussions. It is so important for us to be challenged and to open ourselves up and let ourselves understand where others are coming from. It is extremely worrying that people seem to be so disconnected from each other right now, and that they are just not willing to drop their walls and listen to one another. I also worry about everyone's need to be right, as you have to understand that there really is no right or wrong side. I just hope we can meet somewhere in the middle before it’s too late.

Vaccinated 4 - Everyone is entitled to their own options - it's their body and their right to choose. We should try not to judge.



Have you encountered separation from friends/family because of your decision, or have you yourself separated from others due to your beliefs?

Vaccinated 1 - No, fortunately all of my friends and family are vaccinated that I'm aware of - but of course I know that I live in my own echo chamber. I have family who work in science, good friends who are surgeons and emergency department nurses and so on. I'm sure there are communities of people fiercely against being vaccinated or who don't trust big pharma / the government. It will be very hard to know in future who in our community isn't vaccinated and that feels a bit scary to me. 

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - Yes I have experienced separation from a family member sadly. My Uncle phoned up my mother (his sister) who is also unvaccinated and abused her on the phone, telling her he was ashamed of her. It broke my heart. I love my Uncle. He's a wonderful man and it was shocking for us all to see a side of him we had never seen before. I have also personally made the decision to distance myself from a number of friends, due to comments they have made about the situation and about people who are choosing not to have the V. Everyone is entitled to have an opinion but the way I have seen some express this, has come from a place of anger and hate, its ugly and I don't want to be a part of it. 

Vaccinated 2 - No, I don’t think a difference of beliefs/opinions is a reason to not have someone in my life. If I did that for everything I would have such a narrow world view and wouldn’t have my views challenged through discussion.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - Absolutely yes. We have had a lot of our family members not support us at all, or not even take the time to truly understand how we are feeling.  It’s honestly been a really awful time to be honest. Members of our family who we loved and supported hold very strong opinions on the process we have chosen to take, and it really opened our eyes and made us realise how fragile relationships can be, and how these relationships now come with conditions. I would never turn against anyone for their beliefs, so that's maybe why it feels more shocking to me.

I think the worst part is that all of my life I have worked hard, been a part of the community, supported charities, always supported and loved everyone around me, I am a good mother, I work hard and I am a good person, so it's really jarring to me that because we have chosen to take it slow and not rush the decision because of a loss we endured we have been deemed “anti-vaxxers” and other hateful words by family members and our community. People are just throwing those words at anyone who isn't rushing out to get the vaccine and its upsetting as a majority of the people I know who have chosen not to get it right now are due to reasons like mine, or they actually know someone who has suffered side effects from the Vaccine. So the kind of person we are, what we have accomplished in life seems to have just been thrown out the window and now we are just deemed to be these awful human beings and second class citizens. Mentally, it’s really hard to comprehend to be honest.

Vaccinated 3 - Yup we have told close family if they are not vaccinated by the time our wedding comes around they more than likely won’t be coming. We have told people if we are fortunate to start a family they won’t be visiting in the early stages. 

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - No, not really. I have always surrounded myself with open minded, caring and compassionate people. I have a lot of people around me who are both vaccinated and unvaccinated and it makes no difference. We all have had plenty of open discussions about this so we are all very aware of each other's reasons and we support that. I think this whole thing will really allow people to break away from negative people and allow themselves to create much more open minded, kind and caring communities. The hate we are seeing right now is unnatural and it's caused completely by fear. However, words cannot be taken back so we all need to be very careful about the words we are putting out there as they can have huge consequences.

Vaccinated 4 - I have felt some divide - my father is very against the vaccine and I have not told him I have had my first jab but the majority of the people around me are accepting and open to talking calmly about it. The attitude I can't quite understand is 'why are you even questioning it? Just do it.' In my mind, there is nothing wrong with asking questions and feeling informed when making a decision.



Do you have an open mind, and are willing to sit down and discuss with someone whose beliefs differ from your own? Or have you already had these discussions with someone?

Vaccinated 1 - Absolutely and I think approaching this issue has to come from a place of open mindness and compassion - anger or belittling people will only increase the divide. I think where we're seeing a lot of this is from the medical community but rightly so; they have been dealing with this for a very long time now - they've dedicated their lives to studying and working in the field and are at the front line in terms of looking after very sick people and being at risk themselves. I feel for them as they are being accused of being in some kind of agenda (or that they're being paid to promote vaccines etc) and that must be so difficult to deal with. I've heard there has been a big increase in GPs changing career paths due to the stress of it all and that doesn't surprise me at all.

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - I've had discussions with a number of people but unfortunately, I have on almost all occasions been met with hostility and a closed mind. Most are not willing to listen to what I have to say.

Vaccinated 2 - I constantly have these discussions with all people I’m close to; not just about the vaccine. I am always willing to talk about it and I think it’s so beneficial. Either it will teach me something that will change my opinion, or it will allow me to build conviction in my original beliefs because I would be forced to critically think about them as they were being questioned during healthy and respectful debate/discussion.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - Yes absolutely, I am lucky and have some family members that I am able to have open discussions with and it's been very helpful. I am open minded and will always listen to others opinions and I think listening to those whose opinions differ from mine is really important. We live in a world of 8 billion people, 4 million in New Zealand - and I truly don't understand how people assume that we should all agree with each other. Listening to others makes us more understanding and compassionate.

Vaccinated 3 - I have an open mind, but I have had enough of peoples excuses that have been proved wrong.  

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - I am completely open minded and I am always having discussions with those around me. I also really encourage others to do so. I understand that what we believe is important but having discussions is not about changing people's mind. It is about creating understanding between each other and being respectful. If you only surround yourself with people who believe and think exactly like you do that can be very dangerous so I urge everyone to at least sit down and have these conversations.

Vaccinated 4 - I will always listen to someone else's beliefs as long as they are also respectful of my own. I think it is important to remember that telling someone to 'calm down' rarely makes them calm down so in the same vein telling someone they are an idiot for believing in something isn't going to miraculously change their option. We need to be patient and understanding when having these types of conversations.



How has this pandemic affected your mental health? (can be regarding lock downs, peoples actions/words, financially etc)

Vaccinated 1 - I've been pretty lucky and I think most of us in NZ are very privileged - we've only had a handful of people die from covid here thanks to our government's response, and we were one of the last countries to be exposed so we've been able to learn from others' mistakes. So I'm extremely grateful for that but I'm also pretty scared for the future as the Delta strain inevitably enters all of our communities. My husband and I both have family overseas and many of them haven't met our baby daughter due to border controls - that part has been very sad. The unknown of this makes it an anxious time, but I'm also aware we are really sheltered from the worst of what the world has seen. I try to focus on the good to make sure I protect my mental health.

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - People's words have affected me the most, I've seen a side of humanity that frightens me.

Vaccinated 2 - Financially, I have saved money, although I know I’m one of very few in this situation. My biggest unnecessary expense was always eating out so that’s been completely cut out. Mentally, I had a break-up in level 4 so it’s been really hard not seeing friends in person to just hang out.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - I have not had anxiety for a couple of years now but it seems to be back with a vengeance. I just think so many people are so anxious, fearful and angry and that it is honestly affecting all of us. As a collective we have to try and look after ourselves through exercise, sunlight, deep breaths, talking through our thoughts etc as all of this negative energy is also affecting our kids and adds to the collective anxiousness that everyone seems to be feeling right now.

Vaccinated 3 - This time in our 3rd week it's been hard, I cry most days over the unknown. It's hard showing up for my kids online. Never have I felt like this, I am normally a happy, glass half full kind of gal, but I am now a glass over half empty person and that is hard. 

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - Definitely, I don’t think anyone can really say it hasn’t. In the beginning, my biggest battle had been stress, which I know is the worst thing for my body so over the last few weeks I have put a lot more effort into meditating, yoga, journaling and writing what I am grateful for every day. Some people scoff at things like this, but I promise you, putting gratitude out into the universe will change your life. Journaling allows you to get everything you have been bottling up out of your mind and on to something tangible. Affirmations work and need to be a part of everyone's daily routine. The universe gives back what you put out - so if you are full of negativity, fear and judgement then that will continue to reflect back at you and become your reality.

Vaccinated 4 - I'm fortunate not to be severely affected by the pandemic unlike some people but it has still taken its toll and I do feel anxious a lot of the time when thinking about the future.



Do you think social media has played a negative role in all of this? If so, why?

Vaccinated 1 - 100% - there is no longer one official channel for news to be reported and a lot of people distrust mainstream media now. There is so much information being disseminated online via influencer pages and much of it is unverified; people are doing their own "research" without having any knowledge of how to accurately (scientifically) research anything - newsflash, it's not watching YouTube videos! And from my anecdotal experience the anti vaccine community is extremely loud, aggressive and insulting towards people who've dedicated their lives to saving others. I've had to mute or unfollow a lot of people as watching them preach untrue information in a really disrespectful way to thousands of people was very triggering for me.

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - Yes the division, hate, fear, and confusion have been amplified on social media, it's been almost impossible to escape from it. On a positive note, I have been able to connect with some new like-minded women on social media which has been refreshing.

Vaccinated 2 - No, I think social media is an emotional crutch and I am very aware of that as I use it. But I limit myself to 1hr a day so it doesn’t become too consuming. I think when used without limits social media can definitely be very unhealthy. However if you use it with understanding of why you are using it then it will help

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - Yes and no. Yes because we see extremes from both ends which causes others to put everyone into a box, like you’re either vaccinated and angry or an anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorist, like there is no middle ground and it's really affecting people and causing others to have an extremely narrow vision towards others. On the other side of that, we cannot just have one narrative as that doesn't allow for any discussion at all, so being able to find such a mix of opinions, thoughts etc throughout this has also helped a lot of people navigate through the chaos.

I would also like to add that I am getting really frustrated over others saying anyone hesitant is just finding their information via facebook etc as it's just not true. Every bit of information and data we look at comes directly from the source such as, World Health Organisation, FDA, CDC, Pfizer, Medsafe, World Governments etc so please stop thinking we are making huge life altering decisions from a few video clips on instagram.

Vaccinated 3 - No I don’t think they have. I think they need to start talking about how it is going to impact our health care the more cases we get. 

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - I think there has been a mix of both negative and positive outcomes. Yes there has been huge negativity and unfortunately this has meant people have been put into categories rather than everyone being seen as human beings. It's really dangerous to have people being put into two groups - it creates huge animosity between each other and if we are not careful this will have a really negative impact that will change the direction of our lives and those of our children. Separating fixes nothing. It does not help. It never has. All it has done is create atrocities in the past.

On a positive note, there have been amazing communities built due to people being pushed from society, but also so many vaccinated people are supporting others who have chosen not to and vice versa, so it's not all bad. There is still a lot of kindness being offered from both sides, it is just not really shown. There is so much love and understanding happening and I have definitely seen a shift, so fingers crossed there is more to come.

Vaccinated 4 - Yes, I believe that social media is a terrible thing in the current climate - it encourages so much misinformation.



If you are feeling fearful or angry right now, why is that?

Vaccinated 1 - I'm scared of catching covid (yes, I'm vaccinated - but no vaccine is 100% effective), of my older parents catching it and getting very sick, of my daughter catching it as she's too young for the vaccine....I'm also really anxious that there will be a huge divide between those that are vaccinated and not, and that it will lead to aggression and hate from both sides. Anger usually stems from fear so I really feel for those not wanting to get vaccinated, it must be a really awful time for them. But I think a lot of us are scared that our hospitals will be overrun by unvaccinated people on ventilators for a long time - meaning if we or anyone we know has a car crash, or cancer, or a burst appendix - that there will be no resources to help.  That is a reality that has been seen overseas and I have friends working in emergency departments who have confirmed that this is happening, so I'm really worried about what that will mean for us here.

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - I am fearful of what the future looks like - I am fearful of what freedom looks like in the future, especially for our children. I am frustrated and angry at a very disempowering system that I feel most are not willing to challenge. 

Vaccinated 2 - I am feeling both fearful and angry about my future but that’s because of house prices/ general cost of living in Auckland going up + the breakup.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - No I am not angry, I am just frustrated. Frustrated at the government for dividing us so easily, for them not truly understanding why so many people are choosing not to vaccinate right now and for not putting any focus on mental health. It's running through all of our communities and I am very worried about that. I am also fearful for my child's future as seeing all the hate and division first hand makes me nervous as this is not the world I want for them. 

Vaccinated 3 - Both, I fear for the health of my family and friends, I have friends who have sick families and if they got covid even though vaccinated they might not make it. I am fearful I will need medical help and won’t get it because the hospitals icu is over run with covid patients. Friends with small children who are not going to be eligible for a long time. I worry for them. I'm angry at people who don’t see the struggle people in lockdown are going through and they can try to help by going to get vaccinated. 

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - I am neither. Being angry and filled with fear will only make me sick. Your mental health affects your immune system and the worst thing for your immune system is stress. When fearful our rational and higher cognitive capacities shut down, making us easily manipulable and blocks critical thinking. I am also frustrated that our government is ruling with an iron fist and only supporting the vaccine strategy, where as they should stop with the fear mongering and start putting more effort and resources into preventative care and mental health - which means pushing for people to exercise, sit in the sun, eat a healthy diet, take vitamins etc.

Vaccinated 4 - I feel angry about the divide I am witnessing and therefore fearful for the future. We are in uncharted territory with this pandemic and surely it is natural for people to be fearful of the unknown. I wish that everyone would practice a little more compassion.


What is your definition of “a community”?

Vaccinated 1 - A group of people who live in harmony and respect each other's differences - BUT also one that will make decisions based on the greater good. These ideas are not mutually exclusive; you can compromise (yes, even with health decisions) to ensure the safety of the wider community. It's a tricky line to straddle at the moment as freedom of choice and body autonomy are so dear to my heart, but I think this pandemic and the potential realities we're about to face trump those ideals for the time being. 

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - Community to me means - respecting and supporting one another in whatever way they choose to live their life. It means celebrating each other for our uniqueness. It is about collaboration rather than competition. Community is to LOVE each other through our obstacles and differences.

Vaccinated 2 - A place you frequent where you have something in common with the people there. E.g. school community, local community, church community etc.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - A community is a group of people (small or large) that contribute, support and lean on one another. A community is full of a diverse group who are accepting of others and put their differences aside for the greater good.

Vaccinated 3 - People working together to help and support each other.

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - My definition of a community is people who come together to co-exist, to live freely and openly, with no restrictions on who they are and the dreams and opinions they may have. 

Vaccinated 4 - A group of people, small or large, near or far, who support each other.


What is something you have learnt about yourself throughout this pandemic?

Vaccinated 1 - That I need to make sure I exercise and meditate daily for my mental health, that I spend WAY too much time on social media, that I need to be careful with what I am exposed to on those platforms as it definitely affects me. But also I think a lot of us have realised what is really important, especially during lockdowns. Family, friends, good food (no more banana bread though please!), fresh air, long walks.....we all got back to basics and it felt really good for the soul. I guess there have been some silver linings!

Vaccine Hesitant 1 - Something I have learnt is to not be so attached to the physical, to people and material things in life - as you grow, life grows with you and new more meaningful situations, relationships are formed. Letting go is what is best for you and those you choose to leave behind.

Vaccinated 2 - Being alone can be hard and sad at times but it won’t kill me - time goes on and I’ll be okay.

Vaccine Hesitant 2 - It has made me more spiritual. I meditate more than I ever have so I can calm my mind. I am more grateful for the little things and am focusing on consuming healthy food, exercising and taking care of myself, mentally, emotionally and physically as its really important right now as I know the hate will only get worse unless we all actively make a collective decision to be more understanding of one another and have more conversations like this. It has also made us realise how fragile life is, so now we put all of our energy into the people who support us.

Vaccinated 3 - N/A

Vaccine Hesitant 3 - How resilient I am. As a white European I have never had to encounter this kind of thing before so it has made me even more understanding and supportive to those who have had these prejudices throughout their whole lives. I have also learnt more about other people to be honest. Seeing like minded, caring people turn so angry and hateful has been really eye opening. However, we can’t turn our backs on each other as when this is all over and done with, if we don’t try and fix things now there will be a lot of broken relationships that can not be healed. We do not want our children inheriting a broken hateful world. They need to be the force that pushes us to look outside ourselves and reevaluate. 

Vaccinated 4 - I have learnt quite a bit about myself, from what I can and can't cope with to what is truly important to me. 

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I will leave you with this one last thing - Give people grace and compassion - be patient with one another, and always lead with love.

Ash xx