Ariroa…
In the Waitohu pukupuka I gifted myself recently — Hinemoa Elder shares a whakatauki — He kerekere marika to te whatu. The pupil of the eye has such intensity. Close examination.
“Memories of the sweetest moments of sustained eye contact are awakened today.”
This reminds me of the way my nephew Riley looks at me in the morning. With such intrigue and wonder. With such full and sustained eye contact, just fully seeing me and knowing me, inside and out. He knows the person I am now. Not who I was. He is learning the person I am becoming and is connected to his future.
Why is it that people are so scared of looking at each other?
Yes, for many it’s culturally inappropriate to make eye contact for sustained moments. For others, like myself, I struggle to make eye contact for sustained periods because I get anxious and nervous about other people’s judgement of me and who I am.
We’re scared of them seeing who we are. Who we are truly at our core.
“Ariroa’s spotlight opens that circle of light shimmering down onto life’s stage.
Our truths exposed. The reveal of our eyes working their light magic together.”
Together we learn. Together we grow. Together we can understand the different dimensions of past, present and future.
I think about the practice that Hinemoa Elder has actively been doing each morning. Looking at herself in the mirror when she brushes her hair and teeth. An act to reconnect and check in with herself.
“Deliberately looking myself in the eye”…
We were encouraged to do this during Maori Teacher’s Conference last week by Brad Totowera from Rangiriri Putake — to close our eyes, and look at ourselves from outside our bodies. I acknowledged the black parts, the mamae and also the growth. The developing parts that are continuing to grow, evolve. It was confronting, but in a good way.
I have been trying to do this for a while now. Sustained eye contact with myself. Giving myself that positive self talk. Giving myself that love that I needed when I was younger. Believing in myself and my limitless possibilities.