Bedside Table

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I live in a 100-year-old farm house on a beautiful 400-acre property in rural Northland, but I was raised in Hong Kong before moving to Sydney at the age of fourteen. Six years ago, my Kiwi husband and I moved to New Zealand to retire, and our two adult sons came with us. 

After working in the corporate world as a PA, and then in disability and special needs in Australia, I find that this land has helped me gather myself see myself as a person. As I get older, I need this more and more – the solitude, and spaciousness of nature. It’s allowing me to have personal growth that I never had time or mental space for in Australia.  

On my bedside table you will find…  

A lamp. This is the newest addition to my table. It’s got an amber setting for a more relaxing vibe, and brighter setting for reading. It’s nice to be able to customise the lighting at night.  

A statue of St Anthony. This is definitely the most important thing on this table. My mother was a devout Catholic. She was raised in Hong Kong and her family was from Macau, which was a Portuguese colony in China. The Portuguese influence created a strongly Catholic culture, and St Anthony and the Blessed Mother were the patron saints of the Macanese people. My mother had an alter with all the statues, but St Anthony was predominant. He was everything to her. Before she died, she told me she wanted me to have this particular statue, so it’s incredibly dear to me.  

I light the candle when I’m meditating, connecting with people who have passed on – my parents, my husband’s parents, and my sister who died nearly thirty years ago. St Anthony and the Blessed Mother also are part of my meditations, and the significance is really the connection to Macau – St Anothony walked in Macau. He was there all the time and people were really aware of his presence.  

The picture of my sister, Fern, was taken six or seven years before she died of a brain tumour. We lost her very quickly, and it was quite traumatic. Her passing was the gateway for the awakening of the spiritual side in me. I missed her so much and I needed a way to connect with her and to know that she was okay, so that’s when I started meditating.     

I keep a note pad, pen, and glasses handy because, even though I have retired, I still have a lot going on and it really helps my headspace to be able write things down when I’m in bed in the evenings. That’s the time when I’m most relaxed and at peace, and my mind starts to clear and make sense of what’s been going on during the day.  

I use the liniment balm, relief balm and lavender oil to help me unwind at the end of the day. The liniment balm is similar to Tiger Balm, but it’s a Thai version that a friend brought back for me. It’s great for headaches and achy muscles. I’ve also used it for stomach aches! 

There are also some other mementos from my mum. They somehow make me feel that she’s still here with me and keeps me connected to her. She really loved us very much. Our boys were her life. I miss her, especially when it comes to times when my own family are going through challenges.