Die dood bly nou maar eenmaal ‘n verskynsel waaraan ons as mens nooit gewoond sal raak nie. Ek onthou nog so ‘n paar jare gelede soos gister \u2013 dit was gedurende die Covid-19-pandemie. Dit was een van die verskriklikste tye wat hom oor die w\u00eareld heen afgespeel het. Die impak van sterftes gedurende daardie tydperk was so oorweldigend dat ek iets daaroor moes skryf omdat ek geweet het dat dit my op ‘n psigiese vlak van groot waarde sou wees. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dit het inderdaad baie gehelp.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die afgelope paar dae voel dit vir my amper asof ons in Suid-Afrika ‘n mini-herhaling van daardie tydperk het. Elke keer as ek op sosiale media gaan loer, lees ek van nog iemand wat die tydelike met die ewige verwissel het. My hart gaan uit na elke gesin en familie wat in die winter uit daardie bitter beker van die dood van ‘n geliefde moet drink. Dis nie lekker nie. Dis nie maklik nie. Vra my maar, want ek het dit net ‘n paar dae gelede eerstehands met die heengaan van my dierbare pa ervaar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ja, my pa is vir agt dekades lank vir ons gespaar. Hy was ‘n legende in eie reg. Gaan vra di\u00e9 wat hom persoonlik geken het. My pa was een van die groot seders in sy gemeenskap wat geval het.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wat sy dood vir my egter soveel meer aan die hart gegryp het, was die feit dat ek duisende kilometers van hom af was toe hy sy aardse huis vir sy hemelse woning verruil het. Moderne tegnologie het dit genadiglik vir my moontlik gemaak om die dag van sy finale aardse totsiens virtueel by te woon. Wat ‘n troos! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ook moes ek ‘n manier vind om duisende kilometers van my familie af die woorde te vind om my finale totsiens aan hom te s\u00ea. Ek deel dit graag met jou:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liefste Daddy,\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek skryf hierdie briefie aan jou met ‘n seer hart. My hart is seer, want ek kan nie vandag daar wees om saam met Mammie, jou kinders, kleinkinders en agterkleinkinders my finale totsiens aan jou te s\u00ea nie.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daddy, ek kon met my laaste besoek aan jou en Mammie sien dat jou aardse reis vinnig besig was om tot ‘n einde te kom. Ek sou Mammie so graag nog een keer wou help om jou sokkies en pantoffels aan te trek. Ek sou Mammie so graag nog een keer wou help om jou uit die huis na buite te neem sodat jy jou gunsteling- Redelinghuys-sonnetjie kon geniet. Ek wens ek kon nog een keer die voorreg h\u00ea om te hoor hoe mooi jy vir my dankie s\u00ea elke keer as ek jou met ietsie kleins gehelp het. Ek het verstaan. Jy was nie iemand wat ‘n las vir iemand anders wou wees nie, maar toe jou kragte begin afneem, het jy nederig aanvaar dat Mammie en ons almal ‘n handjie moes gee om jou laaste paar tre\u00eb na die eindstreep so gemaklik as moontlik te maak.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daddy, ek is so bly om te hoor dat Mammie en al jou kinders daar was voordat jy jou reis na jou ewige huis geneem het. Jy sou dit so verkies het. Ek is so dankbaar vir die Here dat ek die voorreg gehad het om met my laaste besoek aan jou my hand in joune te plaas en jou, Mammie en myself voor God se genadetroon te bring. In my gees kon ek gewaar dat dit jou laaste oomblik hier op aarde saam met my sou wees. Ek berus my, Daddy, want ek weet dat jy veilig by jou Skepper is. God is die kenner van die harte en die toetser van die niere. Hy het jou hart en menswees van begin tot einde geken\u2009.\u2009.\u2009.\u2009’n stil, sagte en nederige pa vir sy kinders, ‘n liefdevolle en spelerige man vir sy vrou en ‘n man met ‘n opregte omgeehart vir sy gemeenskap en medemens. Jy sou nie ‘n vlieg skade aandoen nie. Dis wie jy was en so sal ek jou altyd onthou, Daddy. Omdat ek weet dat jy veilig is by jou Skepper, het ek vrede in my hart en gemoed.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baie dankie vir die wonderlike pa wat jy vir jou kinders was. Baie dankie vir die wonderlike man wat jy vir Mammie was. Baie dankie vir die voorbeeld wat jy van kindsbeen af vir ons as jou kinders was. Daar is soveel lewenslesse wat ons by jou kon leer. En hier waar ek tans is, sal daardie lewenslesse my altyd bybly. Ek sal vir altyd met trots kan s\u00ea dat ek die jongste seun van Dirk Smith is. Waar ek my lewensreis hier op aarde voortsit, hoop ek dat ek jou baie trots sal maak. Jy sal vir altyd in my hart voortleef. Jy sal vir altyd my held wees. Daddy, ek gun jou die ewige rus. Ek weet ons sal mekaar weer sien. Ek sal vir altyd die mooi herinneringe saam met jou koester.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jou seun, Andr\u00e9.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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