Another eventful week that has just passed! As mentioned in my previous post, it was my younger sister's Matric Dance on Saturday. I even left Pretoria a tad earlier than usual to go over and help her and my mom prepare..for the big affair (check out the rhyming skillz over there!). The occasion in itself was quite a momentous one--not only for my little Jess, but also for our family--and then on a larger scale, our community. My sister and I have grown up with quite a few friends- some with older siblings and some with younger ones- in the neighbourhood over the past years and last weekend it was finally the turn of all the youngsters for their "time to shine". Needless to say, all the moms (including the undersigned's Mom...) at the local hair salon were tearing up ever so slightly as they chatted about how their daughters were finally reaching the point of matriculation...and leaving the nest (Hey..! What was I when I left? Chopped liver?). In our first year of Anthropology here at the University of Pretoria, there was a fantastic module spent on Liminality. Basically what "liminality" means is sort of like crossing a threshold; it is when a person, group or entity goes from one phase or space into the next. Super symbolic and a very fitting topic at the point in time which we learned about it. One usually does so with a peer group or fellow colleagues et cetera. This weekend and the months to come is a perfect example of being in the liminal phase. As Jess and her fellow school friends finish up with their final exams and go off on their matric vacation (as majority do, I guess), they exit and move on from High school and into the next phase of life which awaits them-- be that University, work, possibly a Gap year, you get the point. But before I bore my readers too much with the inner workings of Anthropological perspective, here is a snap of My sister, myself and her date: I didn't think I would get too emotional on the night when we saw them off at the pre-party or on the "red carpet", but...in total contrast to that thought...I was more concerned and worried (and slightly koo-koo) than expected. Even the owner of the hair salon told me to calm down (it wasn't like I was interfering with the stylist or anything. Just giving a few plain, constructive pointers is all).
As my parents and I left Jess and her friends to enjoy the Dance, I felt like I was back in Nursery school with her; where the teacher told us that because of our age difference, we had to split up into different play groups. That day and subsequent days thereafter, I cried my eyes out every time we went to our different groups because I shuddered at the thought of not being with her and just wanted her to be okay (not realizing that she was way more ready to spread some wings than I was for her to). Gosh, I don't know if it's possible to describe to anyone on Earth how it feels to have a sister, or just how much love you can have for one another. The best I can do is just to say that, without even having to think about it, I would lay my life on the line for her. She has made me the person that I am today and I thank God every day for giving me such a treasure. Having a sister is one of life's most precious gifts anyone can ever receive. And to top it all off not only did I get a sister, He gave me Jess! Double Whammy. Sometimes it feels as though she is the older one; always giving positive advice and trusting with her heart and believing in the best of people. I hope if there's anyone who reads this and can relate, that you take the time to tell that special sibling or even family member how much you love them. We all know that life can change in the blink of an eye, so there's no reason why the people close to you shouldn't know how much they mean to you. Keep well! Oh ja, and before I forget, I'm in the process of uploading another little lunch recipe! Stay tuned...or um, logged on. :)
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AuthorHi there, my name is Judete Fourie. I am a twenty-something-year-old writer living in Stellenbosch in SA's Western Cape. Follow my day to day adventures that involve wine, wit and braaibroodjies. Archives
June 2017
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