July 11, 2022

At times it feels like load shedding is tormenting us! All the extra logistical planning just to make sure my hair gets dry, my cellphone is charged, and there is cooked food to feed the always hungry kids. I mean I lose my last bit of energy just thinking about it.

But there is one particular thing that I truly enjoy about load shedding. It is when all the extra logistical planning pays off and there are a few minutes left to fill my beautiful enamel kettle and boil some water on the gas stove for a steaming cup of coffee.

There is just something about lighting the gas stove and the flames timeously heating the water to a boiling point that calms me down. That waiting forces me to stop, to stand still for a little while, and think.

Is all the running around really necessary? Does everything on my list need to get done today? And a lot of times the answer is no. No, it is not so important. No, it can wait for tomorrow or even another day.

So I take my steaming cup of coffee and walk through the half-dark house to find the children. Being with them time stands still. No past, no future, just the glorious now filled with Lego dragons trying to destroy and conquer Lego castles. For a moment I get lost in their world.

When I return I am more convinced than ever that we have enough. We don’t need more stuff. We just need more moments like this.

Do you agree? Let me know.