For Achim
Wow! Time sure flies when you’re having fun. Here we are well entrenched in 2014 and I find myself with only one week of leave left. Ouch! ‘s all good though, I truly enjoy my job and I am well rested and looking forward to see what grade 5 (through the eyes of Jerry) brings.
2013 was a bit of a black and white year. A year of extreme highs and extreme lows – no grey – no middle ground.
Two people whom I love and who both had very little chance of becoming parents arrived at the end of the year being a Mom (in the case of my sister) and a Dad (in the case of my second cousin). Wonderful! Heather (sister) was asked to provide a safe house for a 2 month old baby who was being badly neglected. Said baby is now officially being fostered by Heather (with adoption on the cards) and has crept and crawled into our hearts. And she even gave a special prezzie to Heather on Heather’s birthday yesterday: her first tooth poking gleefully through her gum. Jacques (cousin) was hardly likely to become a father on account of the fact that he is gay. But Jacques is a very determined young fella and pursues his dreams like a terrier. He found a willing surrogate mother and the day before New Year (sjoe! it was almost this year!) his baby girl arrived. And in my mind she is the luckiest girlie ever – her Dad loves her completely and in totality. Both of these folk may not have carried their babies in their bellies but I can assure you that in each case the lucky babies grew in their parents’ hearts.
And the lows? Well, early in the year one of South Africa’s well-loved and most famous sons appears to have messed up in a moment of ‘roid rage and shot his lovely girlfriend. Was interesting to see how South Africa rallied around him in support – sure there were some unforgiving mother grundies ready to throw the first stone but in general the support was unconditional.
October was not a good month. I lost a cousin(-in-law), friend and sage to hateful cancer. And he’s the reason why I’m blogging again. He used to hover around my cousin Rhona (his wife) whilst she read and sometimes translated my blogs into German for him. He always enjoyed my writing immensely and often suggested I should write a book. So here’s to you Achim. Promise I’m going to try and blog more often and I promise I’m going to be as controversial and you always dared me to be.
And just a few days after Achim left my beautiful neighbours were torn apart by the sudden death of their husband and father. His relatively healthy and fit 50-year-old body couldn’t cope with the regular long-haul flights his career required and he suffered a pulmonary embolism one morning leaving a bewildered and deeply saddened young family behind.
Then, of course we lost our Tata – the father of our new rainbow nation – our personal grandpa: Nelson Mandela. Although I’m pretty sure that he actually died in July when he was so ill and someone made the decision to keep him alive on machinery until the time was politically correct for him to die. (As promised, Achim, a little controversy). And this was followed shortly after by the death of another well-loved son: Baby Jake Matlala.
And the moments of extreme highs and lows experienced all at the same time? Watching my “baby” facing a daunting grade 4 where the kidlets were well warned of the horrors and serious work-load. Needless to say she came through with flying colours and made me proud with maths, chess, needlework, guitar, ballet and cross country running. Wow! Watching my beautiful step-daughter head off on a big adventure to Japan. Nooooo – so far away. Being torn between letting her go to follow her dream and being so incredibly proud of her.
Watching my beautiful and strong grand-niece continue her fight against hateful cancer with very many down downs and a few more up ups. All this whilst her family try to keep up a little normality interspersed with days of inspiration.
Watching my oldest sister and brother-in-law celebrate 30 years of marriage and true love. Being blown away by the extremes of time and how their wedding 30 years before felt like yesterday. Seeing the first year of my music school come to a successful end and observing the phenomenal growth and individuality in my students.
Joining Weigh-Less and watching how a little self discipline can make such a huge difference. Seeing our band go from strength to strength only to see the hard work dashed to the ground by too-stressed passionate, creative temperaments. Here’s hoping that the few weeks off away from each other may bring relief to those too hot under the collar.
But the year, as always, ended on a FABulous high. As the clock struck midnight to herald 2014 Séan and I celebrated being married for seven awesome years. So onward and upward into 2014. Here we go! Another huge adventure. And I’m really looking forward to it.
2013 was a bit of a black and white year. A year of extreme highs and extreme lows – no grey – no middle ground.
Two people whom I love and who both had very little chance of becoming parents arrived at the end of the year being a Mom (in the case of my sister) and a Dad (in the case of my second cousin). Wonderful! Heather (sister) was asked to provide a safe house for a 2 month old baby who was being badly neglected. Said baby is now officially being fostered by Heather (with adoption on the cards) and has crept and crawled into our hearts. And she even gave a special prezzie to Heather on Heather’s birthday yesterday: her first tooth poking gleefully through her gum. Jacques (cousin) was hardly likely to become a father on account of the fact that he is gay. But Jacques is a very determined young fella and pursues his dreams like a terrier. He found a willing surrogate mother and the day before New Year (sjoe! it was almost this year!) his baby girl arrived. And in my mind she is the luckiest girlie ever – her Dad loves her completely and in totality. Both of these folk may not have carried their babies in their bellies but I can assure you that in each case the lucky babies grew in their parents’ hearts.
And the lows? Well, early in the year one of South Africa’s well-loved and most famous sons appears to have messed up in a moment of ‘roid rage and shot his lovely girlfriend. Was interesting to see how South Africa rallied around him in support – sure there were some unforgiving mother grundies ready to throw the first stone but in general the support was unconditional.
October was not a good month. I lost a cousin(-in-law), friend and sage to hateful cancer. And he’s the reason why I’m blogging again. He used to hover around my cousin Rhona (his wife) whilst she read and sometimes translated my blogs into German for him. He always enjoyed my writing immensely and often suggested I should write a book. So here’s to you Achim. Promise I’m going to try and blog more often and I promise I’m going to be as controversial and you always dared me to be.
And just a few days after Achim left my beautiful neighbours were torn apart by the sudden death of their husband and father. His relatively healthy and fit 50-year-old body couldn’t cope with the regular long-haul flights his career required and he suffered a pulmonary embolism one morning leaving a bewildered and deeply saddened young family behind.
Then, of course we lost our Tata – the father of our new rainbow nation – our personal grandpa: Nelson Mandela. Although I’m pretty sure that he actually died in July when he was so ill and someone made the decision to keep him alive on machinery until the time was politically correct for him to die. (As promised, Achim, a little controversy). And this was followed shortly after by the death of another well-loved son: Baby Jake Matlala.
And the moments of extreme highs and lows experienced all at the same time? Watching my “baby” facing a daunting grade 4 where the kidlets were well warned of the horrors and serious work-load. Needless to say she came through with flying colours and made me proud with maths, chess, needlework, guitar, ballet and cross country running. Wow! Watching my beautiful step-daughter head off on a big adventure to Japan. Nooooo – so far away. Being torn between letting her go to follow her dream and being so incredibly proud of her.
Watching my beautiful and strong grand-niece continue her fight against hateful cancer with very many down downs and a few more up ups. All this whilst her family try to keep up a little normality interspersed with days of inspiration.
Watching my oldest sister and brother-in-law celebrate 30 years of marriage and true love. Being blown away by the extremes of time and how their wedding 30 years before felt like yesterday. Seeing the first year of my music school come to a successful end and observing the phenomenal growth and individuality in my students.
Joining Weigh-Less and watching how a little self discipline can make such a huge difference. Seeing our band go from strength to strength only to see the hard work dashed to the ground by too-stressed passionate, creative temperaments. Here’s hoping that the few weeks off away from each other may bring relief to those too hot under the collar.
But the year, as always, ended on a FABulous high. As the clock struck midnight to herald 2014 Séan and I celebrated being married for seven awesome years. So onward and upward into 2014. Here we go! Another huge adventure. And I’m really looking forward to it.
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