For one tight-knit family, the discovery of heart-shaped treasures has become a tender and meaningful tradition, passed down between siblings over the years. It began in 2018 when 5-year-old at the time, Micah Theron, full of wonder, uncovered a heart-shaped potato while helping her granny in the kitchen. Now, years later, her younger cousin, Liam Nel has followed in her footsteps – this time with a heart-shaped grape.
When Micah originally found the potato, her delight was boundless. “Oh, what a beautiful potato!” she exclaimed with the innocence and enthusiasm only a child can bring. Her mother, Lagenay Theron, recalled how Micah refused to let the potato be cooked. “She was amazed when she saw it,” Lagenay told the UD Express seven years ago. “She wanted to plant it and grow many more beautiful heart-shaped potatoes. She even kept it with her and proudly showed it off at school.”
At the time, Micah was a Grade R pupil at Uitenhage Primary School. Her excitement about the discovery left a lasting impression on her family as a sweet and playful moment.
Fast forward to the present. Recently, Micah’s 10-year-old younger cousin, Liam, came running to his mother, Nerissa Nel, with equal joy after finding his own heart-shaped treasure in the form of a grape. “Mummy, look!” he exclaimed, nearly bursting with excitement. “I found a heart-shaped grape just like Micah did when she was younger.”
But it was Liam’s next act that truly highlighted the family’s strong values of love and kindness: he handed the grape to his mother and insisted, “You take the first bite, Mummy, because I love you so much.”
Nel, deeply moved, shared how this small yet meaningful gesture reaffirmed the values she strives to instil in her children. “In that moment, I knew I must have been doing something right to raise such a well-mannered, gentle giant. Liam’s thoughtfulness filled me with gratitude for the gift of being a parent,” she said.
The family cherishes these small, heartfelt experiences, seeing them as reminders of the simple joys of life and the importance of nurturing love and kindness in their day-to-day interactions. Commenting on Liam’s discovery, his proud mother remarked, “How lucky we are indeed to be given the gift of being called their parents.”
For Micah and Liam, these heart-shaped finds have exceeded their physical form, symbolising the love, connection, and values their family holds dear. From Micah’s determination to preserve a heart-shaped potato at age five, to Liam’s sweet offering of a grape at age ten, these moments, Nel said, serve as proof of the importance of raising children who recognise and share the love around them.
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