Dearest granddaughter and light of our lives

Dear Lexi, Thank you for spending time with us that weekend in Cape Town. Seeing my granddaughter was one of the highlights of the holiday and believe me, your uncle and aunt were as thrilled with you as I was.

Did you notice how closely I was watching you all the time that day in the Company’s Garden? Did it seem just a little creepy? I was trying to burn the picture of my granddaughter into my memory, lest I forget. Do you find that silly? I mean, we only took about a thousand pictures and videos of you. Okay, maybe not quite that many!

The thing is, I knew that we would not be able to fully capture the essence of you in a photograph – your poise and self-confidence, your boundless energy, your curiosity and your thirst for knowledge. Was I as smart as you are at this age? I don’t know.

Remember when we saw that white squirrel, an albino with red eyes? I think we all were just as excited as you. Isn’t it wonderful how nature finds ways of allowing some of its creatures to stand out in a crowd? You are like that, you stand out because you have some wonderful qualities. I saw your tenderness when you were feeding the pigeons, the squirrels and even a very cheeky duck.

Also, when we visited the Slave Lodge at the bottom of the Garden and you realised that slaves were real people in shackles being abused and mistreated, I saw the horror in your eyes, but also the empathy. Don’t ever lose this quality, it is very special. History has taught us some hard lessons, but not all people are willing to learn from the mistakes made in the past. We must do better. I know you will.

My darling granddaughter, I also saw that you are much loved and have been taught to love others, and that makes me happy. You are so privileged to grow up in a safe and loving house with mummy and daddy, as well as grandma Pauline and grandpa Chris looking after you. We really enjoyed visiting with your family.

You are having another birthday one of these days. Nine years old! Just for once, I wanted to be the first one to congratulate you, so I wrote this letter a little early. Yes, I’m sneaky that way 😊 Oh yes, and I wanted to tell you that I know a little secret that you don’t. I know what you are getting for your birthday😜 Are you excited? Of course, I know you are, but don’t go growing up too fast now. These are the best days of your life, enjoy them as much as you can.

Love. Always. 💞

Ouma.

Ps. I did tell you that I visited the Company’s Gardens quite a few times with my own mummy and daddy (your great-grandmother and great-grandfather) when I was a little girl. We visited the museum often and my mother also tried to teach me a little about the history of our ancestors, but it seems I was more interested in feeding the pigeons and the squirrels 😁Those pictures I showed you are in this blog: