My fellow Rotarians and friends of Rotary,

Remember to say "I LOVE YOU"

With great sadness, we announce the loss of the beloved father of our secretary, Nick Hamilton-Kane. After a short illness, Hamilton-Kane (snr) passed away at the age of 91. On behalf of all the members of the Rotary family, our deepest sympathy goes out to Nick and his family at this difficult time. May the happy memories bring you and your family comfort at this sad time.

One of the special things about coming to a Rotary meeting is listening to a variety of guest speakers who speak on various topics that bring Rotary members up to date with the latest trends, provide insight, and enrich them with history and knowledge. Members of the public who would like to hear these speakers are most welcome to attend but will be required to make a booking for catering purposes. So come along, enjoy the camaraderie, a good meal and listen to a speaker of your interest.

Our guest speaker last week was a well renowned musician, George Ellis. Our club was honoured to have such a brilliant and amazing Australian conductor, composer and orchestrator. We had a wonderful Q & A session moderated by our Club Service Director, PP Arie Pappas. Having worked in Australia's classical music industry since 1990, George Ellis has connected with the best orchestral musicians in the nation. Over the years, he had formed his own orchestra which comprised of these musicians; they have performed throughout Australia under his direction. A musical genius, George, explained his extra-ordinary musical career, which was insightful and remarkable. All our Rotarians and their spouses were mesmerised by George's wonderful achievements both locally and internationally, while being so humble.

We are also celebrating Valentine's Day this week, starting Monday, February 14th. Hoping to save their relationship, a woman dragged her husband to see a counsellor. During their session, the counsellor asked him, "Do you tell your wife you love her?" The man growled, "I told her when we got married that I loved her--and that if I ever changed my mind, I'd let her know." People know you love them by your actions and words.

When you lose a loved one, you realise that relationships are much more important than possessions. We tend to forget that in our scramble to get to the top of the heap and the daily busyness of life, that life is short, and we need to radically alter our perspective. It makes you want to fill every precious moment with important words you have left unsaid, and important things you have neglected undone. Don't let the pace of life masquerading as ambition and work, stop you from expressing your love to the people in your life who need to hear it. Make that call. Send that email. Buy those flowers. Say, 'I love you.'

Most of the time, people don't need our opinions and solutions; when we give them our time and love, they will feel valued and loved. Yes, it is important to fulfil your God-given assignment in life, but not at the cost of the people who really matter. Three little words people never get tired of hearing: "I love you." It's not complicated--it just requires thought.

"When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too."

Paulo Coelho.

 

Yours in Rotary Service,
 

Thaya Ponnia