It is the 6th of September 2017, it is my dad’s birthday. Today we get to celebrate my dad’s 66th birthday in somewhat special circumstances.
My dad is the personification of strength. My dad, who lost his dad when he was young, grew up in JHB, married my mom 44 years ago and they were blessed with two girls. My dad is witty, charming and wise. My dad chose to live a simple life, uncomplicated. He has the most beautiful blue eyes, a naughty smile that lights up his face and a pair of legs and calf muscles that any boy or girl would dream to have. Back in the day, he went to the army, in the early 70s he fought in the South African Border War…a time in his life he does not talk about. My dad is a man of few words and has always been the strong silent type; he has a great sense of humour, he is stubborn as anything with a terribly short fuse (like father, like daughter).
My dad has always been a sucker for punishment though; he single handedly extended and rebuilt the family house we grew up in. It took him 3 years to do… but he did it.Over weekends you would find him either in the garage, making or fixing things, or in his garden. He chose to do everything himself..all the mowing of the lawn, trimming the edges, planting veggies, fixing the pool etc. Whenever I smell freshly cut grass, I think of my dad. Whenever I hear Jennifer Rush singing, I think of my dad. In case you have missed it…I love my dad. He is my superhero, he is a gentle giant.
My dad is also a huge sports fanatic; His dream was to be a sports commentator/journalist, he never pursued this but he would have been great at it. He was a keen runner and a good rugby player in his younger days. My dad taught me how to run. One of my fondest memories of my dad is him standing at the 200m mark on the athletic track. He was always there to encourage me to run the last 200m of the 400m race to the best of my abilities. My dad used to make me energy drinks; he used to bribe me with money as encouragement to do well. He would always say “just do your best”.
If I look back on my life I know that running is the one thing that my dad taught me that has, in turn, taught me endurance, determination and all things required to build a strong character. I am eternally grateful for this, I have my dad to thank for that and so much more…..
On the 14th of July of this year, I received a phone call at work with devastating news… our strong dad, had a stroke. A stroke?….yes…. a stroke. My mom found him lying on the floor, he could not get up…the stroke left him paralysed on the left. And just like that my world came tumbling down.
In this country with the highest crime rate in the world one almost expects and anticipates that something bad or crime related will happen to your parents or that they will be dealt the lurking cancer card….. We did not for one second anticipate a stroke and certainly never the havoc a stroke can cause. One thing is for sure, you want your parents to live forever, you want them to be strong and healthy forever and you dread the day when you will have to part ways with them. It is selfish I know, but so true. However, when the pillar of strength in your family collapses and can’t get up or do anything for himself….reality takes an entirely new perspective. I have never prayed so much. It has been the most difficult and challenging time for me and my family…we all had a stroke.
This post is not about us or how we came face-to-face with our biggest fears and challenges but about the people in our lives that we care so much for that you are prepared to do anything for and in this case… to ‘run’ the marathon of all marathons, together.
My, once super strong dad is in a wheelchair….and in the middle of a marathon of a different kind, no doubt the marathon of his life. He is currently in the great care of the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Aucklandpark, JHB. Allow me to say that we could not have asked for better care. Everything about this institution is like watching a movie, you almost have to pinch yourself to check if it is real. It is a world class institution…the staff, the therapists, the cleaners… they are so friendly, so caring and so absolutely dedicated to their jobs and helping their disabled patients to adjust to all the changes and to heal from the trauma. I salute these healthcare workers for their patience and the joy with which they do their job. When you see them in action it can bring you to tears. We should celebrate these special people every day. They make a difference every day and I wish to thank them for the love and amazing care they have given to my dad and to us all. A thousand times thank you.
We are so grateful to be celebrating this special birthday. We have never seen him so weak and so fragile. For weeks we did not think we would make it to this day. The important thing now is that my dad is making small progress every day and I believe that someday soon, with the grace of God, he will be completely mobile again. The rules have changed. The roles have changed… we are forced to be strong now…we are in the midst of the ultimate endurance test “you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have”.
I find myself waiting for my beloved dad at the 200m mark, but this time it is not a 400m sprint but an ultra marathon. I have been cheering all along…“just do your best”. I will continue to wait and cheer. The 200m mark is always closer than you think and boy what a thrill it is to finish strong.
“Liefste pappa, vandag celebrate ons lewe en liefde – baie geluk met hierdie spesiale verjaarsdag. Byt vas, hou moed, ons is amper daar. Doen elke dag net die beste wat pappa kan”.
Baie lief vir pappa
XX
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My dad is the personification of strength. My dad, who lost his dad when he was young, grew up in JHB, married my mom 44 years ago and they were blessed with two girls. My dad is witty, charming and wise. My dad chose to live a simple life, uncomplicated. He has the most beautiful blue eyes, a naughty smile that lights up his face and a pair of legs and calf muscles that any boy or girl would dream to have. Back in the day, he went to the army, in the early 70s he fought in the South African Border War…a time in his life he does not talk about. My dad is a man of few words and has always been the strong silent type; he has a great sense of humour, he is stubborn as anything with a terribly short fuse (like father, like daughter).
My dad has always been a sucker for punishment though; he single handedly extended and rebuilt the family house we grew up in. It took him 3 years to do… but he did it.Over weekends you would find him either in the garage, making or fixing things, or in his garden. He chose to do everything himself..all the mowing of the lawn, trimming the edges, planting veggies, fixing the pool etc. Whenever I smell freshly cut grass, I think of my dad. Whenever I hear Jennifer Rush singing, I think of my dad. In case you have missed it…I love my dad. He is my superhero, he is a gentle giant.
My dad is also a huge sports fanatic; His dream was to be a sports commentator/journalist, he never pursued this but he would have been great at it. He was a keen runner and a good rugby player in his younger days. My dad taught me how to run. One of my fondest memories of my dad is him standing at the 200m mark on the athletic track. He was always there to encourage me to run the last 200m of the 400m race to the best of my abilities. My dad used to make me energy drinks; he used to bribe me with money as encouragement to do well. He would always say “just do your best”.
If I look back on my life I know that running is the one thing that my dad taught me that has, in turn, taught me endurance, determination and all things required to build a strong character. I am eternally grateful for this, I have my dad to thank for that and so much more…..
On the 14th of July of this year, I received a phone call at work with devastating news… our strong dad, had a stroke. A stroke?….yes…. a stroke. My mom found him lying on the floor, he could not get up…the stroke left him paralysed on the left. And just like that my world came tumbling down.
In this country with the highest crime rate in the world one almost expects and anticipates that something bad or crime related will happen to your parents or that they will be dealt the lurking cancer card….. We did not for one second anticipate a stroke and certainly never the havoc a stroke can cause. One thing is for sure, you want your parents to live forever, you want them to be strong and healthy forever and you dread the day when you will have to part ways with them. It is selfish I know, but so true. However, when the pillar of strength in your family collapses and can’t get up or do anything for himself….reality takes an entirely new perspective. I have never prayed so much. It has been the most difficult and challenging time for me and my family…we all had a stroke.
This post is not about us or how we came face-to-face with our biggest fears and challenges but about the people in our lives that we care so much for that you are prepared to do anything for and in this case… to ‘run’ the marathon of all marathons, together.
My, once super strong dad is in a wheelchair….and in the middle of a marathon of a different kind, no doubt the marathon of his life. He is currently in the great care of the Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital in Aucklandpark, JHB. Allow me to say that we could not have asked for better care. Everything about this institution is like watching a movie, you almost have to pinch yourself to check if it is real. It is a world class institution…the staff, the therapists, the cleaners… they are so friendly, so caring and so absolutely dedicated to their jobs and helping their disabled patients to adjust to all the changes and to heal from the trauma. I salute these healthcare workers for their patience and the joy with which they do their job. When you see them in action it can bring you to tears. We should celebrate these special people every day. They make a difference every day and I wish to thank them for the love and amazing care they have given to my dad and to us all. A thousand times thank you.
We are so grateful to be celebrating this special birthday. We have never seen him so weak and so fragile. For weeks we did not think we would make it to this day. The important thing now is that my dad is making small progress every day and I believe that someday soon, with the grace of God, he will be completely mobile again. The rules have changed. The roles have changed… we are forced to be strong now…we are in the midst of the ultimate endurance test “you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have”.
I find myself waiting for my beloved dad at the 200m mark, but this time it is not a 400m sprint but an ultra marathon. I have been cheering all along…“just do your best”. I will continue to wait and cheer. The 200m mark is always closer than you think and boy what a thrill it is to finish strong.
“Liefste pappa, vandag celebrate ons lewe en liefde – baie geluk met hierdie spesiale verjaarsdag. Byt vas, hou moed, ons is amper daar. Doen elke dag net die beste wat pappa kan”.
Baie lief vir pappa
XX
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