Grateful for A Supportive Family: Darlow
Being a mother means love, resilience and commitment. These were the words of the New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, Charlotte Darlow.
Mrs Darlow said she was privileged to have two wonderful kids and a supportive husband.
“My kids have brought happiness and blessing in not just my life, but also in my partner’s life. They are both at school here in Suva (in Year 5 and Year 7),” she said.
She also said her goal in life was to be happy, healthy, well-balanced and independent to her children.
“I want to be a mom who is ready to contribute to the world. I want to be a mom who sets example to my children and make them learn and grow in life,” Mrs Darlow said.
She said being the NZ High Commissioner in Fiji and being a mother at the same time was challenging.
“I think every working mother sometimes feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day, and that there are an endless series of trade-offs to balance between the personal and professional parts of life,” she said.
“A wise person once gave me a great advice which is to ask yourself in those moments of trade-off: “What’s important now?”.
“Sometimes the answer to that question is to do with my High Commission work, and sometimes the answer is to sit with my kids and catch up on their day. Creating space to do both is central to my well-being.”
She also said motherhood had pushed her to take an intergenerational view of the work she did related to safe and resilient future for the Blue Pacific Region.
“The shared challenges and the ways in which it has become my role and a need to innovate together to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren,” she added.
Like many others, Mrs Darlow’s source of inspiration and strength was her own mother.
“My mother worked very hard and balanced the demands of a challenging professional career alongside her role at the centre of our family,” she said.
“She continues to support me and my family today, even though she is separated from us in New Zealand. I am encouraging her to visit us here in Fiji.”
Mrs Darlow and her family plans to enjoy Mother’s Day by visiting Coral Coast.
“I will also be calling home to NZ to send aroha (loloma) to my mother because I love her and I miss her forever,” she said.