Thread by @SoliPhilander

I'm sitting here listening to the rain, feeling such love for my late Grandmother.
Those of you who know, know. The sink-huisies with leaks, sleeping under plastic bags to keep dry, clambering onto roofs in the rain to once again try and lessen the raining inside. And the

build-up to it, the soup (Annie was renowned for her 'stamp en stoot), the finding dry spots for things that could ruin, the placement of buckets and pots and other containers to catch the leaks.
The sheer 'adventure' of making it through a rainy night.

Here's the thing though:

In all of that she could still make us feel like we're privileged, should be grateful for what little we had, and consider those who had nothing. This extraordinary woman, with only her faith and her determination, in harsh circumstances, with so much against us, still managed

to create a loving, secure childhood for me to remember.

Sure we grew up in materially-challenged circumstances, but the character she displayed, the love and selflessness she lived and the sacrifices she made we were so unaware of, makes her one of the most extraordinary

people I was blessed to be loved by in my life.

So the rain evokes not only a consideration for others, but also a reminder of this remarkable woman who was given so little, and returned such a lot.

And of what extraordinary people we are

SP
15*04*2014