CUPCAKES & LIGHTSABERS


“May I please sit on your lap, Nana?”  Micah is a blazing ball of excitement, because today is his fifth birthday and he just opened two very special gifts.  The first is from his bestest best Daddy Daniel, two red lightsabers and the second from his Nana and OupaAssie, a set of six books promising to help him discover the Bible.  While Micah releases the footrest of the lounge chair, Nana scoots up to make space for her beloved blue-eyed-blonde boy, the one responsible for her promotion to grandmother.  On the dining room table are boxes containing a total of 60 birthday cupcakes, 40 for the Blouklasmaatjies at school and 20 for family and friends and Micah’s best friend, oom Charles, at home.  All of the Blouklasmaatjies, cousins and a few other friends have been invited to the big birthday party at Spur this coming Saturday.  There will be an ocean-themed cake and more cupcakes.


“Oh my.  He’s gonna like Star Trek….”  This was Daniel’s first message to Nana with a picture of a tiny little newborn hand making the Vulcan greeting of LIVE LONG AND PROSPER.  Since Nana could not care any less about Star Trek at that moment, Daniel managed to redeem himself with a follow up picture.  This picture revealed the most beautiful newborn and his gorgeous mommy who looked more like a model who just stepped off the catwalk than a woman who had just given birth. Nana remembers 27 September 2018 very well.  It was a Thursday.  She became a first time grandmother at exactly 07:07 that morning.  In fact she had been ready and waiting for the big news since 01:30.  Although her beloved daughter-in-love, Carli, had been in labour at a local hospital for many hours, Nana’s last 6-hour-23 minute-wait yielded two and a half dozen hand-decorated, home-baked cupcakes.  For someone who loves cooking and baking almost as much as root canal treatment, Nana’s extraordinary out-of-character achievement on that particular day, set a new trend.  A new tradition was established.  Other than primary birthday food, going forward, cupcakes would now also announce, welcome and celebrate the birth of each AssieTribe grandchild. 


“And where is my beautiful mommy?”  Little Micah stops dead in his tracks upon entering their little garden cottage.  His little hands are high up in the air while his tear-filled eyes frantically search for her.  She is not there.  Her hospital bed is not there.  He is just three years old and his mommy died that morning.  Nana also remembers 25 January 2022 very well.  It was a Tuesday.  Her beloved daughter-in-love, Carli, passed away at 04:04.  Neither Nana’s unconditional love for Carli nor her fulfilled promise to take care of Carli to the very end, could spare them from unspeakable pain.  Heartless disease.  Powerless mother.  Lifeless daughter.  Motherless grandson.  No cupcakes.


Nana does not share the same passion for Star Wars as Daniel, and although red is by far her favourite colour, she would have preferred Micah’s lightsabers to rather be the digitally enhanced bright blue of Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber.  Just because red lightsabers belong to the (evil) dudes of that (dark side) other joint.  While wrestling with this, it dawns on Nana that, in the Star Wars fantasy world, most of those angry dudes with the red light sabers have, in fact, survived unspeakable pain.  Micah suffered (and is still suffering) unspeakable pain in a broken world.  Nana will personally plug his two red light sabres back-to-back into each other to form a double-bladed light saber for his fantasy play.  Then, together, Nana & Micah will read his birthday books to discover the real Source of Light for all eternity and His Kingdom, which can never be destroyed.

“I love you Nana!  You are so soft and warm.”  It is a cold Spring day outside, but Micah’s words are warm and comforting.  Nana will be Micah’s soft, warm sanctuary for as long as he might need it.  On the inside Nana cries as she thinks of Carli and then she smiles.  A.  Smile.  For.  Carli.  Today is Wednesday and Micah’s birthday cupcakes are rainbow colours, Carli’s favourite.  For Carli.  With love.  From.  Mom.  xoxoxoxoxo 

Comments

  1. Maretha MSeptember 27, 2023 at 3:39 PM

    Ek huil, Nana en Micah en gesin. En saam met baie ander bid ons vandag vir julle. ''HERE, ons verstaan niks nie, want die aarde is nog 'n plek van groot onbegrip en baie trane en chroniese leed, wat erger as chroniese liggaamlike siekte is. Ons vra U om u woorde aan Paulus ook aan die hele AssieTribe te vervul:(GNB) "My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak." [2 Cor 12:9] LORD, let little Micha feel the protection of Christ's power over him. AMEN.''

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ASSISTING THE DYING TO MAINTAIN DIGNITY IN DEATH

Image
Although I started out in Afrikaans, I decided to write this reflection in English to make it accessible to ALL of my faithful readers and beyond. In response to an invitation from Hospice Bloemfontein, I embraced the opportunity to attend a special event this past Sunday evening.    HOPE AND HEALING, a profoundly deep, open discussion on the topic of ASSISTED DEATH which was hosted by a local Bloemfontein Dutch Reformed Church,  Berg & Dal NG Gemeente .    As introduction, a 24-minute  Netwerk24  video documentary was screened.    It told the heartbreaking story of the last part of 63-year-old Carol de Swardt’s journey to her life’s final destination in Switzerland, where she was able to legally end her own life with the assistance of medical professionals.    Carol’s unspeakable suffering for an unbearably long time led her to this decision, undoubtedly the most difficult and important of her entire life.    Her heartfelt plea was overtly simple -  I do not want to lose myself, I
Read more

MOTHER’S DAY 2024

Image
I spent Wednesday afternoon feverishly working on my TEARS, TATTOOS AND THE TENDER WISDOM OF A FIVE-YEAR-OLD post.    At the time, the exciting chatter of family members in the lounge became a distant, gentle melody to my laser focussed mind.     “MOM!”     Suddenly I was yanked out of my mental cocoon by the intentional urgency of someone calling me.     Yes, I am MOM, but the voice does not belong to Annie (she was the only MOM-caller present at the time).     No, the voice belongs to Megan, my next (second) daughter-in-love who, actually, still calls me Aunty Lulu.     With heart-meltingly cute indignation, she informed me that I did not respond to “Aunty Lulu” after which she decided to go with “MOM”, because she was sure that it would have the desired effect.     It did, she was right! My very first published post was a reflection on MOTHER’S DAY 2023, in Afrikaans.    I used my own experience to reflect on what it means to me to be a MOTHER.    I am still stunned-into-silence-stu
Read more

TEARS, TATTOOS AND THE TENDER WISDOM OF A FIVE-YEAR-OLD

Image
  The older I get, the more proficiently skilled I seem to get in lachrymation secretion.    Uninhibitable and unstoppable.    Involuntary and indiscrete.    Volatile and vulnerable.    No, it’s not a weird, gross medical condition.    I shed tears.    I cry.    Every time…. My heart swells with love….I cry.    My heart is butchered by death/betrayal/rejection/injustice….I cry.    My heart is touched by something profoundly beautiful/pure/amazing….I cry.    My heart breaks for the pain of others….I cry.    Back in 1994, I didn’t cry because Mufasa died.    My little boy Daniel loved that movie and he watched it again and again.    Every time he hoped that Mufasa would not die and every time his hope would be shattered.    In 1994, I cried for Daniel’s pain.    Today, I still cry for Daniel’s pain.    In his story he is Mufasa, his beloved Sarabi died and their little Simba had to learn to navigate little-kid-life without a mommy.   There are four little beings who take a definite front
Read more