Reflection

Every now and then we need to stop and stare. Stare back at the path which leaded us up to the point where we are now. Contemplate on the road ahead – plan and pray, with the feeling of expectation filling our hearts.

The end of the year is such a time for all of us. The world around us forces us to go slower, relax and for a moment get the long needed perspective which has been evading us during the year.

2012 was a wonderful year. I have experienced more during this year than ever before in my life. Most of it is mainly because I have had the privilege to become a mother, but it is only part of it. It was also a tough year. There were goals that we could not meet, we worked hard and lost some battles, up to the point where we all felt we needed a break desperately.

There are no guarantees that 2013 will be easier. I cannot remind myself ever hearing people say – this was a wonderful year, much better than the year before that. It seems that time will always fly faster and faster, finances become less and less and we grow older and older.

But despite that I am thankful. Never during this year, both during the highlights and the downsides, have I ever felt that God was not with me through it all. He has been so generous and maybe it is because of hardship that we get even closer to Him.

After another year, where patterns in the world just repeated themselves all over again, I just want to take this with me into the New Year. Not the hope that 2013 will be better or easier, but just the peace in knowing that no matter, what God is with me all the way.

The Washing Machine

Def: The laundry machine, washing machine, clothes washer, or washer is a machine to wash laundry, such as clothing and sheets. The term is mostly applied only to machines that use water as opposed to dry cleaning (which uses alternative cleaning fluids, and is performed by specialist businesses) or ultrasonic cleaners. (Wikipedia)

For humans to live in close proximity to each other we need to smell good, look good, be clean and presentable. In short – we need to wash ourselves and the clothes we wear regularly. Not surprisingly then, that the first patent for a machine classified under the category washing and wringing was issued in England in 1691, long before the industrial revolution or the invention of electricity. The machine did not exactly look like the washing machines we know, but still the need was there and it had to be satisfied. From there the quest for ‘the washing machine’ began.

Finally in 1904 the electric washing machine arrived. Fischer, an American citizen has incorrectly been accredited with the invention of the electric washing machine as we know it, but at least one patent for such a device was registered in America before he registered his.

Now, why on earth have I devoted a piece of literature to this for granted electrical appliance? Can we describe it as a miracle in our everyday lives? Maybe it was a 100 years ago as articles have described the washing machine as more liberating than the contraceptive pill… We have to realise, before the arrival of a machine with washing ability, the tedious action of maintaining hygiene lay in the coarse hands of the woman of the house. She usually had to offer a day or more of her week washing and wringing away…

So yes, maybe it is still a unappreciated miracle, drowned by the voices of iPads and iPhones and iPods and all other forms of nanotechnology.

But one thing I am sure of: the washing machine is not is a form of entertainment. We hide it in our pantry. It is not applauded for its aesthetic or entertainment qualities. Not until now…

Isn’t it wonderful to see how an everyday activity, like the workings of a washing machine become magical through the eyes of a child.

Andreas enjoyed every moment and we enjoyed him. There we were sitting – the three of us, in our pantry, marvelling at our own washing machine. The entertainment did not cost a cent.

There are things in life which are simply priceless, like seeing your child exploring the world.

Thank you Andreas. Through your eyes I get a new perspective on the world.

Jelly Babe

To have a child is surely one of the most life changing event which could ever happen to you. Nothing in your life is ever the same…

In their innocence they come, take your whole life, your heart, your being and turn it all upside down. They come without reservation, the only agenda they have is to be fed, cleaned and loved, but believe me that ‘little’ agenda of theirs keeps you busy all day.

They don’t ask for anything, they just simply cry to get it. They drain your pocket, occupy your thought, and crawl into the centre of your heart.

You don’t have free time anymore and should you get it sleep sounds like the best way to spend it on. You know now that you never knew the true meaning of work, until now.



Knowing all this, who in their right mind would ever want to put themselves through all this?

On Saturday, as I was sitting watching my jelly babe all the above faded away – because despite them taking all your energy they give back so much more. With their innocent vitality they have the power to transform an ordinary day into a memorable event.

They teach us that enjoyment lies in the ordinary things.

Something we so often forget.

Smokkelary

Daar is soveel dinge waarmee ‘n mens kan smokkel . Meestal lok die woord die beeld uit van ‘n geheimsinnige man, donker strate, ‘n fluweellappie, die inhoud daarvan net vir die oog van die voornemende koper bedoel.

Maak nie saak waarmee daar gesmokkel word nie, hetsy blink klippies, potente opkikkertjies of perlemoenskulpies, per definisie impliseer die woord geheimsinnigheid. Smokkelaars loop nie op straathoeke met advertensieborde om hulle nekke nie. Jy moet ‘n smokkelaar opsoek, die ware wat hy aan jou wil verkwansel kom altyd teen ‘n prys, en ‘n risiko…

‘n Afrikaanse gesegde wat nogal heelwat in my gedagtes was die laaste paar weke is juis rondom die idee van smokkelary. Iemand smokkel met jou gedagtes. Dit is asof ek dit juis die aftelope tyd beleef het.

Niemand is gevrywaar teen teenspoed of moeilike tye nie. Die vraag is nie of dit gaan gebeur nie, maar eerder wanneer. Die ideaal is om in moeilike tye jou kop op te lig, die silwer randjie om die donker wolke raak te sien en voort te beur. As dit maar so maklik was. Soms, net wanneer jy voel jy is weer op jou voete, dan kom die volgende uitklophou.

Die lewe bly nou maar tot oorlopens toe vol met uitdagings.

Maar ten spyte hiervan het elkeen van ons steeds keuses, hoe beperk ookal. Die sterkste wapen wat ons sekerlik het teen teëspoed is om positief te bly. Maak nie saak hoe donker die wolke saampak nie, daar sal altyd iets positiefs wees waarop ‘n mens kan fokus.

Dit is soos Barbara Johnson, sekerlik een van my gunsteling bly -positief- skrywers so mooi beskryf. Sy vertel van ‘n nota was ‘n hond beskryf wat weggeraak het. Jy sal hom herken aan die volgende: sy af-stert , hy loop mank, blind in een oog, brandsiek om maar net ‘n paar skete op te noem, maar die belangrikste is dat hy reageer op die naam Lucky.

Dit is die toppunt van positiewe denke.

As dit maar net so maklik was. Ons stryd is nie teen vlees en bloed nie. Ons veg daagliks teen die dinge wat ons nie kan sien nie. Die duiwel gebruik juis ons denke as toegangspunt om beheer oor ons lewens te kry. Hy weet dat vanuit die denke word ons lewensuitkyk, ons besluite en ons dade beheer.

Die duiwel is by uitstek ‘n beroepsmokkelaar. Hy spesialiseer daarin om elkeen van ons ‘n rat voor die oog te draai. Tydens elke moeilike tyd in ons lewens kom klop hy skelm aan die deur. Woordeloos bring hy sy fluweellappie na vore, tog te aanloklik. Jy neem dit, gee jouself oor aan die versoeking. Maar so dikwels besef ons te laat: dit wat ons geglo het ‘n diamant van verligting sou wees, is uiteindelik ‘n vloeksteen van verbittering en negatiwiteit.

Dit is wat kom van smokkelary.

Wat is dan die antwoord? Die eenvoud daarvan het my eintlik laat skaamkry. God kom nooi ons elke dag uit om ‘n lewensverandering te maak, eenvoudig deur ons denke te vernuwe. Dit kry ons reg sonder enige smokkelary. Vernuwing van denke kom deur eerlikheid, deur elke dag, elke gedagte, elke gebeurtenis wat ‘n invloed om my gedagtes kan hê voor God se voete neer te sit en dit onderdanig aan Hom te maak.

Dit is vreugde te midde van swaarkry.

My Red Toe Nails

Spring brings with it the spirit of renewal. There is energy in the air which drives us towards new things. We have the urge to re-look the old and start on a fresh note. We throw out our old clothes, get a new hairstyle, get outside work in the garden, get in shape (with varying levels of success).

I call it spring fever.

As part of spring fever I felt my toe nails needed a little lightening up. As part of the new season I had to paint them with something else than the black and brown I have been using during the long winter months. I dug into the cupboard. To my dismay the only bright colour I could find was red. I have never been too fond of red lipstick or red nail polish, but to relieve the symptoms of my spring fever I had no other option.

I must say it help to put a piece of spring in my step, but believe me, beyond my wildest expectations it did so much more than that.

Andreas is in the process of crawling. Believe me, quite a process it is. He tries very hard, he has the will, but for every 10 minutes of trying the might advance about 2 or 3 metres in the direction he wants to go in.

We mostly feel helpless. We encourage, as you might realise from previous writings on the subject and to some extent it does help, but there are certain connections which still have to be made in the little brain of his. The wires are not all connected yet.

One afternoon I was cheering along, as usual, standing a few feet ahead of where he was intending to go. He suddenly fixated on my sandals, with the red toe nails peeping through. In that moment he got a determination in his eyes: he wanted to get to my toe nails. With that as his goal he suddenly moved, like never before.

He did not stop until he touched the result of my spring fever exercise. It was wonderful to see the utter satisfaction on his face when he finally reached his goal.

In that moment I realised the power of red!

I just wish motivation of one’s children could stay this easy. Imagine if red toe nails were what it would take to get a stubborn teenager study for his exams.

I guess I should enjoy it while it lasts…

Die Universele Gevoel

Daar is belewenisse, gevoelens waarvoor mens nie woorde het nie. Miskien is daar nooit woordeskat onwikkel om hierdie oomblikke te beskryf nie, of dalk sal die mens ten spyte van sy mees intesiewe poging steeds sprakeloos gelaat word deur sekere gebeure.

Tydens ‘n oorsese reis kom ek dikwels die gevoel teë. Uit gebrek aan meer beskrywende woorde het ek dit my universele gevoel gedoop. Die universele gevoel is ‘n oorweldigend: dit is die besef dat ‘n mens deel is van ‘n ingewikkelde, verweefde kosmos. Die wete dat selfs ‘n onbelangrike gebeurtenis in die uithoek van een wêrelddeel’n rippeleffek kan opwek wat enige iemand aan die ander uithoek van die aarde kan beïnvloed. Die gevoel is gegrondves in die teorie dat jy enige twee mense op aarde in 8 stappe of minder met mekaar kan verbind.

Tydens my reis na Wenen het ek die universele gevoel my telkens beetgepak. Dit was waar ek asemloos voor Gustav Klimt se werke gestaan het, wetend dat dit wat hy in sy kuns uitbeeld binne my resoneer. Dit was in die Schonbrunn paleis toe die geskiedenis van Mozart, wat ek in Standerd 1 van geleer het, lewendig geword het. Hier het ek gestaan in die spieëlkamer van die paleis waar Mozart op 6 jarige ouderdom vir Keiserin Maria Teresa op die viool gespeel het.

Dit was in die oomblikke van Keiserin Sisi se lewe wat my herinner het aan die fliek van Romy Scheinder (wat die rol van Sisi vertolk het). Ek het die fliek as 5 jarige dogterjie gekyk. Na die fliek het was ek vir maande die beeldskone Sisi, wat die swaar adelike lewe op haar skouers voel druk het.

Soveel van die Weense geskiedenis het al in my lewe gefigureer. Kuns word so dikwels die wyse waarop die geskiedenis van ‘n veraf wêreld deel van my alledaagse lewe word. Dit is waarom ek elke oomblik van my kunsbelewenisse wil omarm, want daardeur het ek die geleentheid om myself in te prop by ‘n universele bron van energie.

Aanmoediging

Daar is ‘n rede hoekom woorde soos tuisveldvoordeel bestaan. Nie net ken die sportman die veld waarop hy uitdraf nie, maar die bemoediging en aanmoediging van ‘n span se eie ondersteuners laat nuwe moed deur enige persoon se are vloei.

Ons word gebore met behoefte aan erkenning. Ons meet onsself so dikwels aan die reaksies van ander mense. Wanneer alles om ons verlore lyk, al die krag uit ons gedreineer dan is daar een ding wat ons so dikwels kan deurdra, een ding wat ons kan laat voortgaan tot die verbasing van onsself en ook ander rondom ons. Die aanmoediging van iemand wat ons liefhet.

Ek het dit altyd geweet. Daar was al soveel tye wat ek self gevoel het asof ek nie kan aangaan nie en tog het. Wanneer ek terugkyk was daar altyd iemand naby, iemand met ferm liefde wat in my bly glo het.

Maar hoe vroeg al is die mens toeganklik vir die effekte van aanmoediging? Die huidige doelwit in ons huis is om ons kleine bondeltjie vreugde te help kruip. Ons gee hom genoeg “tummy-time”- heelwat meer as wat hy graag so wou, want dit is net so paar minute dan is die mannetjie die ene frustrasie. Hierdie posisie kan hom beslis nie bring waar hy wil wees nie. In plaas van vorentoe gaan dit net agteruit…

So het ek hom sit en dophou. Die ene bondel frustrasie. Die gesiggie spreek van moedeloosheid. Ek kry hom jammer, maar aan die anderkant wil ek hom so bietjie druk om voortuit te probeer kom. Soos enige lojale mamma het ek die aanmoedigingspad probeer – hande geklap, hom aangeprys. Die reaksie was verstommend. In ‘n oogwenk het die gesiggie opgehelder, geen sprake meer van die frustrasie en moedeloosheid vantevore nie.

Meer as ooit tevore wou hy net vorentoe, want as mamma in my glo kan ek dit mos doen.

Die perfekte einde vir hierdie sketsie sou seker gewees het as ek nou geskryf het dat onder aanmoediging en toejuiging van sy mamma het Andreas dit reggekry, hy kan kruip!

Maar nee, hierdie is beslis nie ‘n feeverhaal nie. My seuntjie seil nogsteeds agteruit inplaas van vorentoe, maar ek sal bly aanmoedig, want uiteindelik is dit die belangrikste: dat ons almal iemand het wie in ons glo (selfs al loop dit nie uit op sukses nie).