We have all noticed the international day of women came and went. Like some other special days, it makes me, once again endlessly grateful.
Thanks to some other women, my name was mentioned in one of the articles published in Hong Kong on this day, along with some other women, amazing ones, funnily enough many of which I have been fortunate enough to walk alongside here in this fun city.
The article also mentioned my sister in law, Kristrun Lind, who re-established Annerley Midwives with me, something that not everyone would have been capable of doing. She put in endless hours to help to create what we have today. Annerley had previously been setup as mostly an education and lactation company by Ann Illingworth in 1995, then taken over and changed into a more wide range service clinic – pretty much one of its kind in Hong Kong, where traditionally women either saw a private obstetrician and gave birth in a private hospital, or went to government hospitals and clinics for their care. Private midwives rarely performed routine antenatal care.
But back to where I started. I remember when I got married in 2001 and I was thanking all my family and friends for all the help they had offered and given me in my life. Right from birth of course, parents and siblings, grandparents and many more – but then ongoing: I would never have finished school, university and my postgraduate midwifery degree, had it not been for my sister Rebekka for example, help from friends and family that babysat, fed, offered lodgings, cars, money and more and more – for years. Other friends who are always there, on the phone if not in person, always willing, listening, practical, loving and just there.
I also would never have survived here in Hong Kong, had it not been for all the friends and families that came through Annerley, all the staff that I have been fortunate to been surrounded by. I don’t think anyone can really imagine what it is to run a little business like this, that is so dependent on that everyone puts in their best and that – when nature rules what time babies are born, everyone is emotional, happy, helpless, sad, – the whole lot, many times over during the months of the parenting journey – completely depends on the whole team to be amazingly committed.
Families of those employees, the midwives, team in our office, they also have had their share. There are phone-calls, strange working hours and discussions about stuff that none of them really would love to hear. But they put up with it and fortunately I think I can say that most of the time our little team is a happy one.
Since 2001 in my marriage speech, I have many times stood in front of crowds and written blogs like this. All quite similar. About the same people.
And I can never say it enough. Women and men, – there are so many around me that I really cannot thank enough. People who stand by me and I want to say to that I will always, too, stand by you.
Sometimes this is obvious, sometimes it is not. But it is there. The it. Believe in it, lean into it, feel it. I really hope that one day, I can return all those favors, love and generosity, not that anyone seems to be counting.
I have had a tough year myself. I divorced and my whole family has suffered. We all try to make it work though and in my 45th year of living, I am making it my passion to try and live in peace and harmony and try to make the world a little better than when I came into it.
With the help of all these wonderful role-models around me, I would never be able to think that way. Of course, on the darkest days, it is even hard. But I am so lucky to be able to always be knocked into a beautiful path, if ever I seem to wander out of it. By you all, beautifulies. My family is an amazing one. Unusual and strange I suppose, but I am so glad to be in it. My birth family and my Annerley family.
“The power of the pride” – our little team mantra, this one led by the only man in our Annerley team. We are all there to support each other, to support families, who then support each other and so it goes.
From the forever grateful mum and midwife,
Hulda