Full Circle
14 Years in the making
It’s the 8th of March 2026 and yesterday marked my father’s birthday - 7 March 1936. Was he still alive, he would be 90 years old, but he passed away in 2017 at 81, which he deemed to be “very old”.
In the photo I am standing in the same spot my father did almost exactly 14 years ago. And I’m remembering a very special moment:
In 2012 we had the opportunity to spend a week at San Lameer Resort on the Hibiscus Coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal. We decided to take our elderly fathers along for what was to be their last visit to the coast.
We knew we were taking on a lot. They were getting frail with mental and emotional difficulties. The long trip in itself was grueling and we arrived late afternoon, all feeling thoroughly clapped.
It was only by late afternoon on the next day that we gathered the energy to take a drive to the beach. It was overcast but George put on his swimming trunks and slung a towel over his shoulder “in case the water was nice”.
My dad was huddled in a thick track suit of which the hoodie was put to work against the sea breeze. George’s father had on his usual pair of blue gym shorts, his faded denim jacket, floppy sun hat and white socks with his North Star sneakers.
We stepped onto the beach just as the life guards were starting to pack up for the day and the dads and I stood at a small distance while George tested the water. He signaled that it was perfect and dove right in.
George’s dad was on my left as we stood watching the waves and I didn’t notice that my dad had disappeared from my right side.
The next moment he streaked by us, in nothing but his dark grey underwear and joined George on the edge of the waves!
The track suit was left lying in a heap at one of the life guard flag posts.
In that instant I remembered the father of my youth. I remembered sea holidays and my father riding the waves with us. I remembered his adventurous spirit that took us into the rain forests of Limpopo to see the waterfalls.
This was the essence of my father, seizing the moment, not checking himself but having a spontaneous joyful experience.
We tell ourselves and others the many memorable moments of that week, some scary, some funny, some sad. It was an eventful holiday, to say the least.
But this moment. This made it worth it.
I see you Dad. I really see you now.
Matilda