A trip to Sydney a few weeks ago to attend my niece’s wedding has prompted me to write this post about my wonderful family.
I am one of six children. All of us are married with children -and our marriages are still intact. That must be a record. Also, my parents will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary next year. My parents have 24 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
It is strange, but I often don’t feel that I belong to this family. I am not sure why, but I think I feel that I don’t deserve to be part of this extraodinary group of people. My siblings have all excelled in everything they have done, while I appear to have just muddled along.
My older brother, Sangoma, is a very clever and hard-working man. He is married to Winnie, an academic, who is very astute. They have three super achieving children. I have always held Sangoma in awe because he is my older brother. Even today, I am careful about what I say when I am with him because I sub-consciously expect him to pick me out as he used to do when we were chidren.
Sangoma and his family live quite close to us, but we rarely see them. They are a lot wealthier than we are, and they have a very different set of friends and interests. I do not begrudge them a single cent of what they have got because they deserve it.
I am the second eldest. After me comes Mona Lisa, my sister. They have four children who are also achievers. She is married to Hyperactive, who, through sheer courage and hard work, is a successful businessman. They live in an upmarket area of Sydney, and are very generous people, involved in a number of charities and good works.
The wisest of us all is my younger brother, Dalai Lama. Ever since we were children, we have been very close. He is married to Florence, who is one of the kindest and most generous persons I know. They have six lovely children who have or will do well in life, thanks mainly due to outstanding parenting. Dalia Lama has a senior position in a large company, with all the stress that goes with it. Florence somehow manages to look after her family, and whoever may be visiting, and still works as a nurse. They really amaze and humble me. Dalai Lama and I don’t always see eye to eye on political topics, and we have had some real blow-ups. But this has not and never will detract from the high regard in which I hold him and Florence.
Next in line is my sister, Roadrunner, who is married to Didgeree Doo. They have four extremely talented children. Roadrunner likes to keep herself fit by taking part in long-distance marathons. Her quietness is complemented by Didgeree’s amazing people skills. He has a keen sense of humour, and is one of the funniest people I know. He also has this uncanny nack of making people feel good about themselves.
My youngest sister Tessie, is married to Mahatma, and they have four children. Tessie is a quiet, loving and generous person, who will do anything to help those who need it. Mahatma is very wise, and is one of those people who are born to be teachers. I have a soft spot for their children, in particular their son, Joe, who reminds me a lot of my own childhood.
Of course, the reason for this great family are the matriarch and patriarch – my dear parents, Mkulubaas and the Mother Provincial. They are both in their 80s, and are still quite active. It really amazes me how they have endured the discomfort of a long flight to Perth to attend their grand-children’s weddings. They are loved by all, and are well looked after by the Sydney family.
This post is to be continued.
