slip-sliding away…..

22nd December 2022 (5.28 a.m.)

A lone dove sits
on the train power line above
as I look beyond to the horizon
awaiting my last sunrise here.

The hadedas call out
as a flock of birds fly in formation
in the distance…
the second I’ve seen today,
after a V-formation
of geese (?) earlier.

The horizon glows orange,
and I know –
like so many times before –
what comes next.

The shining nascent disc will rise,
a baby at first,
then ascend to full radiance within minutes.
Allah’s daily renewal
a visible reminder
of the fresh start available to all of us
every single day.

And a fresh start it’ll be –
starting today.

A new home.
New sounds and sights and smells.
New people and responsibilities.
New experiences and joys and pains.

Life moves on.
We all have to leave places some time.
These places
which housed our lives
through thick and thin,
gain and loss,
ecstacy and sorrow.

Nothing is permanent
except the Creator of it all.

And as His sun rises,
blinding my vision,
I must remember and appreciate
His bounty,
His guidance,
and most of all,
His presence in my life –
in all my previous homes,
here,
and in what’s to come.

So as I depart
from this final sunrise,
I give thanks
for all I’ve had,
and pray
that the next chapter
will be even better
than the one which closes today.

(5.43 a.m.)

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To those of you who have followed my journey over the past few months, I thank you for your well wishes and prayers. Today is moving day, and I sit here in our messy lounge – boxes piled up, toys strewn on the floor, bubble wrap waiting to protect our possessions, and a sense of anticipation mixed with loss.

Last night, we all sat together in one room – in the dark (loadshedding a fitting companion for our South African context) – talking about how we feel about what’s to come. And all of us are sad to leave our current home.

For both children, it’s pretty much the only home they’ve ever known, so it’s going to be a big adjustment for them. And for me, this is the first time in my adult life that I’ll be living in a freestanding house again. It’s been 24 years since I lived in a house. The difference, now, is that I am the one responsible for it. Not my parents.

And though it’s scary to leave the safety of a protected environment of a complex, this move has been a long time coming. As a family, we’ve grown beyond the space available to us here (inside, at least…no house could ever match the outside space we have here), and it’s the right time to move to the next phase.

The last six weeks have been insanely intense with renovations and decisions and drama, and though there’s still work to be done at the house, today marks the major milestone – the big shift.

I know things will be different. And as someone said a while back, “different” is often “better”.

And I believe I’ve let go of this place – this home of 12+ years, and this complex of almost 15. And I think I’m ready to embrace the new beginning, too.

So I go forward with gratitude for what has passed, and hope for what’s to come. And the memories from this place….I hold dear to them. And hope for many more beautiful ones to come as we embark on the next adventure.