Well hello, stranger...
The past week has made me think a lot about the people who have influenced me. My thoughts went back to my ouma (grandmother) a lot. You see she fell ill a few months ago and it's been hard. And with ill, I mean she's getting old. She's been in ICU for around 3 weeks now and even though she's positive, it's clear that the old age is getting to her.
This photo was taken last year during my visit to her. She didn't want to go for her walk that day, but in the end, she enjoyed the fresh air.
My Ouma was born in 1931, the eldest of five children. She was born into a poor family, but her parents worked hard to give her and her siblings the best they could. The first 8 years of her life were spent during the great depression. Which was followed by the second world war. 1945. At the age of 9 her brother was born, followed by 3 more sisters.
This is an old photograph of my grandmother and her three sisters. The quality is low, but even the original is blurry.
Seeing how much her mother worked around the house to keep the household in order and her father working extra shifts on the railway, she started taking on responsibility. She would get up a few hours before school to build a fire and heat water. This was used to clean and cook breakfast. She would get water to do laundry and make sure the food was prepped for dinner. After an early morning, she would make her way to school. By the time she reached grade 8, she dropped out of school and started working.
My grandmother during her visit to her sister in Cape Town. She was 88 at the time this picture was taken.
I never really paid much attention to our conversations as a child. And looking back I should have. These days when I listen to her stories about the great depression, the second world war, the polio virus, the swine full outbreak, the South African Border war and just her life in general... I can't help but feel grateful. All the opportunities I got in life were passed down from her hard work and determination.
This photo was taken in 2017 when she was 85 years old.
I admire her. Don't get me wrong, she made her mistakes in life and she has a difficult mood, but she always showed up. I'll be leaving you with a few life lessons I learned from my Ouma. I wanted to share it with you all since I believe it is something everyone can use in their daily lives.
Always make your own bed. It's not someone else's responsibility. Same for the choices you make, the consequences are your responsibility.
"n ding het n plek en hy hoort op sy plek". Everything has a spot, so put it back in its spot. This way you stay organised. It also makes me believe that we as people have our own spot in life and that is where we can make a difference.
"As jy n ding begin maak hom klaar". Always finish something once you've started it. Never give up on something even when you don't want to do it anymore. Let's say you started painting and realised you hate it... Finish that painting, it's proof that you tried and didn't give up. You might never paint again but at least you can say look I tried and gave 100%.
This is one everyone should know. "Daar is altyd iets mooi in die dag". There is something beautiful every day. We tend to rush through our days and never really sit down and feel. When was the last time you looked up at the sky? When last did you hear the birds? Are you aware of the changes in nature when spring comes closer? Take a moment and appreciate the things and people around you. Surviving is not living.
We took this photo during an outing at the start of this year. She was still doing well during this time.
If you made it this far, thank you! I hope you find some wisdom in this post. Make use of it and live in unity with yourself. Take care and appreciate those around you.
