It was delightful to sit with June and Godfrey and enjoy witnessing their affection for each other whilst sharing emotionally charged and vulnerable stories from their lives – stories which have embedded painful as well as joy-filled memories for them which motivate June and Godfrey to make the most of each day they have together.

This elderly couple have lived their lives deeply connected to the land, working hard through financial struggles and appreciating the value of simple opportunities, relationships and luck. They have emerged with a heritage much valued by their family.

This remarkable woman is an inspiration. Her sparkling enthusiasm and passion for life is coloured with experiences of trauma, danger, courage, adventure, generosity, a commitment to family values and caring for the vulnerable in her community, and a desire to centre this on her faith and share her life learnings with others. In her 86th year of life Willy describes herself as 'on fire' and one senses this nugget of a treasure is being refined for still more precious contributions to those fortunate enough to be touched by her.

Natalie's life story embodies the concept of antifragility; rather than simply being resilient, unchanging in the face of challenge, she has resolved to address the trauma and disruption in her life journey as opportunity to develop. As she would advise her young self, 'Take what you've got and do the best with it…' so that the sum of her decisions leaves her later years happier than other years.

The appearance of things often hides the trauma….and richness that lies beneath. Giving time, support and language to help lift the veneer and explore our authentic lives and relationships can be challenging but so rewarding, a path to flourishing as humans.

This story from my collection of award-winning short fiction, 'This Old Stick,' explores that journey for Bob and Irene.

Listen with compassion and delight.

Another story from the award-winning collection 'This Old Stick.' Guided by the doctor's surgical hand, drift with Jim between past and present, stinging memories and caring companionship; listen with compassion and delight!

This is PART 2 of a two part Christmas Special, curated with brief exerts from the longer conversations I and my elder guests have shared over this past year. The snippets of our chats may be short, however, they are heavy with wisdom, poignancy and humour, and truly a festive treat, a Christmas gift from them which carries value beyond merely the words they speak. So please listen with delight and compassion, to hear the treasure of their lives.

This is PART 1 of a two part Christmas Special, curated with brief exerts from the longer conversations I and my elder guests have shared over this past year. The snippets of our chats may be short, however, they are heavy with wisdom, poignancy and humour, and truly a festive treat, a Christmas gift from them which carries value beyond merely the words they speak. So please listen with delight and compassion, to hear the treasure of their lives.