This year has been one of the most challenging years at work. I had a new team and a demanding programme to deliver. We achieved most of what we set out to do. I am very proud and grateful that we did. Priorities changed, and team members changed, but we did it in the end. There is still much to be done in the little time we have left before 2026 rolls around.
I have enjoyed the challenges that this year has brought. I am grateful for them. I always feel like a lack of growth is akin to a slow and painful death. Life becomes boring. So I am definitely grateful for the challenges, the growth and the feeling of being alive that it all brings.
A Question for You
What is one thing in your life that challenged you this year that you feel grateful for?
Daily Quote
“Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.”
Today would have been my parents’ 53rd wedding anniversary. I am so grateful that they came together at a point in their lives. I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t, and I definitely wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am grateful that I was able to experience a loving home when I was younger. I am grateful that in the moments that counted, they always tried to ensure that we experienced it as a family. Sometimes life got in the way but our family was most important to them. I cannot remember a Christmas or Easter when they were not at home.
From this I learnt that family was important to both of them. No matter what, they were always inclusive of each other’s extended families as well. When I was a kid, my dad would happily drive us to various towns and cities to visit family. I loved those trips.
What I learned from each of them
From my mum I learned independence and resilience. My mother got her driver’s license when I was in high school or earlier. She was one of the few mum’s in the neighbourhood who drove. She worked as a bookkeeper when I was in primary school and then as the church’s secretary and bookkeeper until the day she died. She was not afraid of technology and took the necessary courses to upgrade her skills. She was an amazing baker and this became her side hustle. In all honesty, I did not appreciate how fantastic my mum was while she was here. A lot of what she did, she did with such grace that it looked it was perfectly normal for women to do what she did. I am grateful that I at least get to appreciate her now.
As far as I am aware, my dad never felt threatened by my mum’s independence. Perhaps it’s because his mum was also a strong independent woman. He encouraged me to be independent and to never let a man make me feel inferior. He was also an independent soul that tried his hand at entrepreneurship more than once. He was not successful with his ventures but, it hasn’t stopped him from trying. He is in his 70’s and still trying out new business ideas. My dad is also very curious and one of our family historians. I guess I get my curiosity from him.
A Question for You
No two parents are perfect. What is one good thing in your life today that you feel grateful for that was shaped by your parents?
Quote of the Day
“Being grateful for family doesn’t mean they’re perfect, it means you see their worth.”
As an introvert, one of the most precious things to me is a quiet moment to gather my energy. These solitary weekends serve this purpose for me. I get to read and watch TV uninterrupted (unless the cats decide they need their human butler to serve them in some way or another😂). It’s also my time to think, plan, and write, even if no one will see my writing.
As a single mum, this is an extra special treat. I have often heard friends and colleagues mention how their partner has taken the kids to sports practice or out for the afternoon. As a single parent, I have to do it all. When my son was younger, I would get a break during holidays but during the school term, it was up to me to get him where he needed or wanted to be. I wouldn’t change the challenges of being a single mum for all the gold in the world. They make me appreciate these quiet moments even more because they give me the energy to keep showing up as the best mum I can be.
A Question for You
What is one thing in your life today that you feel quietly grateful for?
Grounded African 