In some ways, it can feel as if you are being persecuted for your sins. I could see the tragedy unfolding in front of my eyes. It was like watching an accident happen. I was caught in treacherous waters by surprise. I developed beads of sweat on my top lip…

By the time you’re an adult, you’ve been overlooked thousands of times. It’s not appreciation we crave. It’s having someone believe in you. Someone you trust thinks you’re a sure bet. That’s what we all want, to be chosen…to be picked. Having the right people around you to do the…

Friendships come and go. If you’re lucky, a few last a lifetime. Both my Parents were highly gregarious. Their hospitality and friendliness to everyone and anyone garnered from their platteland upbringing. Most people of the arid region of Namaqualand — in the vast Kalahari — are from farming stock. …

When you’re growing up, being part of the in-crowd seems all-important. To some, it’s imperative. I grew up in a six-member family — we were four kids. My older Brother, two Sisters and me. As the last-born child with an 11-year spread between oldest and youngest, my siblings and Parents…

The miracle of life starts with a match. Two people can come together and create a new life. That places us in the realms of the gods. That passion and love can be the start of something as beautiful as a new baby, is a sign of God’s love. With…

Photo by Timur Weber Seen on a beggar’s signboard: Should I fake a limp? Although you may smile, you wonder what it would take for us to notice the plight of a struggling fellow human. How bad do things have to be for someone before we realise they need our…

Image | Shutterstock My Brother always used to say, a university degree proves you can be taught. Being teachable is a skill that can be learnt. Learning something new takes effort. Not momentary attention or a mere glimpse, but sustained saturation until you’re competent. There is an understanding when you…

Image | Shutterstock The image of a bully being knocked out by the skinniest kid on the playground is appealing to most people. We silently root for the underdog having their day and coming up the winner. The reason we find this so compelling is that the odds are stacked…

Image | Shutterstock You should write your own eulogy. I’ve been writing mine for over 20 years and it’s titled, “When I die”. It may seem like a self-indulgent or depressing exercise, but it needn’t be. Mine has evolved into a sort-of account of my life and the things that…