Saying goodbye to 2011

I'm not in a particularly reflective mood, I guess because I'm still in the moment. But I'm trying to summarize a very busy and interesting year. Having scribbled my life onto endless pages of journals this year, in a way, I have off-loaded. Today s quite simply, another day, a NEW day and a new beginning..... as is every day.

I've received so many blessings: My eldest daughter graduating in her final honors at Wits, five long and hard years of study. My second daughter, getting to live the dream in seeing the world..... and a large part of herself I may add (and coming home safely), my son's academic improvement at school, his music, golf and rugby achievements, my husband managing to keep the boat afloat under very difficult circumstances, both my parents are still with us and thank God, reasonably healthy, my middle sister is in a new and loving relationship, and got to see my eldest sister and her family after 6 long years.
Exhibiting in Canada and London were unforeseen bonuses, a little start to my big, bold dreams.

I don't believe in making New Years resolutions...life is circumstantial. Nobody knows what the future holds. However, I do believe in hope and dreams...that by visualizing them, seeing ourselves in them, tasting them, touching them ...... we can make them happen. I have many :o)!!

There has been downs this year too...many tears were shed and many lessons learned through each drop. It's been a year since Leticia's death. I still cry when I think about her; gentle, strong, deep and beautiful soul that she was. This year has proved to me that its not about the destination but the journey and that the easy path is not always the best.....especially if the destination is worthwhile. The love for my friends and family have sustained me, the hope I have in that love and its source, is what shortens those long, dry winters of my soul.

A while ago, I had a very profound experience wherein, after throwing a rather large branch into the sea, ( symbolic of my past heavy burdens,) the sky had filled with screaming seagulls, directly over the site.














I decided to do the same...well, almost...this year.
After a long run and a quiet walk on the beach, I decided that I needed to get rid of this years 'bad' experiences and memories in order to start the next afresh.



I found a smelly, drying piece of 'red-bait', and ....I didn't understand why at the time,....an empty mussel shell, tentatively picked them up, walked to the edge of the rocks and threw them into the waves as hard as I could.





There was no acknowledgement from the seagulls this time. there were none......but I noticed a pair of Oyster Catchers.....they simply stood there staring at me with their blood red eyes.

I smiled and proceeded to jump around on the rocks, feeling like I did when I was a little girl....Free.

A full nest again

My daughter arrived home shortly after I got back from London...sheeeesh!!....the energy!!
I never realised how much I missed it till it flooded our home again! Within an hour, the entire house, from kitchen to bedroom, was littered wth 'Bronwen'!...her loud, infectious laughter, bounced off the walls and nearly caused Bobo, our crazy parrot, to fall off his perch.!

She qualified in Hotel management last year so has been doing some traveling. One can't but help envy her, that at such a young age, she has seen more of the world than most people have. She soon dispelled the notion of any 'glamor' associated with her choice of career...pus and badly cracked, red hands were testimony to the kind of work...really HARD work...that this job entails. She was voted second best of all 26 international staff.....her mum's really proud of her!!!


When she got home, she slept for a while then was pounced on by her siblings...she slept in Andreas arms for a while too and it brought tears to my eyes. Like my own sisters and I, there s a bond so strong that I have no doubt in my mind that my children will always be there for each other.
Her and her boyfriend surprised us a day early so it took an hour to round up as much of the family as we could to celebrate. She was exhausted and hungry....craving 'real South African meat', Nicknacks, my popular 'pap pie' and of course, lots of family hugs....she got all in abundance...and we washed it all down with a delicious bottle of 'Bellini' Champagne.

Dave hadn't arrived yet, but we quickly put a braai together and reveled in our completeness as a family (orbs and all :o) )

I know that ones children are only borrowed to you for a time, but oh Gosh, they are so precious and each second that we get to share with them is like a tonic for the soul.

This is the journal that she bought me from Kusadasi, Turkey....I love it. I totally underestimated how much she understood my tastes! I go through journals like air and water but this one is almost too special to use as a day to day journal. This wll be used during a special time of my life.

MATLA A BANA

I was invited to attended the AGM of an organization called MATLA A BANA on Tuesday. What a privilege! I'm not sure how to create the link to their website
( info@matlaabana.co.za) , but please Google them to find out what they are about. Better still, please support them.

Basically, it's an NPO (non-profit organization) established by Kallie and Monique Strydom...an SA couple who were kidnapped and kept hostage under terrible conditions. Establishing this organization was their way of giving back to their country who, more than any other, procured their speedy rescue.

Matla a Bana's function is to address the huge incidence of child abuse and rape n SA through reporting, support and intervention programes.
At the meeting, I was horrified to learn that, two years ago, it was reported that a child was being raped every 24min..this year, that has leaped to EVERY 3 MINUTES!!! This is an utterly shocking statistic!! We are living in a very beautiful country but there is a horrific sickness within its populace which, I'm afraid, is producing a nation of psychologically injured people.....men and women.

Someone once said, there is one sure way to destroy a nation......by destroying it's women and children!!.

Women are the backbone of humanity, and yet in some cultures, they are treated as sub-human....often, starting in their childhood. That abused child will grow up n fear, sadness, anger and bitterness and thus will her children and children's children, be raised in that legacy.
Mary carried the son of God, Jesus, who is the essence of our Christian faith...and yet, often, not even she, is honored.....not even by Christians!
A MOTHER, A WOMAN, gave birth to every single leader on earth....and yet, often, at best, they are belittled, forgotten, and worse still, they are beaten and they are raped........ as are their daughters and granddaughters!

In previous generations, children lived in silence about sexual abuse.....especially when it involved a family member. Women and children had no voice. They do now!!!!!!

A well known Jewish author and prisoner of a German death camp once said..."success is brought about by 10 % action and 90 % attitude". Our attitude towards the value of our women and children NEEDS TO CHANGE before any action to stop the abuse, could ever make a difference!