As jy eendag in Saldanhabaai se strate stap en ‘n helder lag hoor wat soos musiek deur die lug dans, is die kans groot dat dit Erna du Plessis is. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy is die soort vrou wat die lewe nie net l\u00e9\u00e9f nie, maar vier \u2013 met oorgawe, geloof en ‘n aansteeklike energie wat selfs die dowwer dae ophelder.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Erna is ‘n afgetrede musiek- onderwyser, maar “afgetree” beskryf haar geensins reg nie. Sy is steeds daagliks besig met haar studente \u2013 van die klein vingertjies van vierjarige beginners tot die ervare hande van ‘n 74-jarige leerder.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Musiek is my asem,” s\u00ea sy met ‘n sagte glimlag. “Wanneer ek speel, praat die Here met my.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
En as die lewe swaar druk, vind sy troos agter haar klavier. Haar gunstelinglied van Laurika Rauch, “Liewe Lewe”, is beskrywend van haar eie lewe: “Hey, liewe lewe, jy moet weet dat ek nie stop en as ek stop, dan kyk ek op. My krag kom van bo.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vir Erna is sy tot alles in staat deur die Here wat haar krag gee. Erna het ‘n hart vir mense \u2013 haar familie, haar gemeenskap en selfs vreemdelinge wat haar pad kruis. Sy is die eerste wat ‘n drukkie gee vir iemand wat swaarkry, of om ‘n stukkie melktert aan te bied wat sy self gebak het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Want suiker en sorg maak alles beter,” s\u00ea sy met haar kenmerkende humorsin.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy was nog altyd ‘n leier met ‘n doelgerigte visie en hande waarvoor niks terugstaan nie. As eerste vroulike voorsitter van sowel die Ho\u00ebrskool Vredenburg se ondersteunersklub en die Weskus Strandloper-karavaanparkklub is dit ‘n bewys van haar toewyding en vasvat leierskap . Wat haar dryf, is nie titels nie \u2013 dit is haar oortuiging dat mense mekaar moet dra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Ons is gemaak om spore te laat,” glo sy vas. En sy doen presies dit \u2013 met haar geloof, haar dade en haar groot glimlag. Erna is tans 64 en om jonk te bly, glo sy aan ‘n lewe vol adrenalien en vonkelwyn.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almal wat haar ken, weet geen uitdaging is vir Erna te groot nie. Sy pak enigiets aan, veral as die adrenalien kans kry om te pomp \u2013 of dit nou is om ‘n berg te klim, uit ‘n vliegtuig te spring of ‘n zipline aan te durf, doen sy dit met oorgawe en ‘n lag.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“As die bloed vinniger pomp, weet ek ek leef,” s\u00ea sy.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
En natuurlik is daar altyd rede om te vier. In Erna se yskas is daar altyd ‘n bottel vonkelwyn \u2013 koud en gereed vir die volgende spesiale oomblik. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“As daar iets is om oor bly te wees, groot of klein, dan skiet ons die prop.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In haar tuin bring sy haar geloof en haar liefde vir mense bymekaar. Elke blom en boom het betekenis \u2013 veral di\u00e9 wat sy plant vir geliefdes wat sy verloor het.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Hulle bly deel van my lewe,” s\u00ea sy sag, terwyl haar hand oor die blare gly.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy en haar man, Johan, is al 41 jaar getroud. Hy spot graag en s\u00ea: “Vergeet van Google; vra eerder my vrou.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saam het hulle drie seuns en vier kleinkinders, die lig van haar lewe. En as die naweek aanbreek, is die televisie op rugby gestel. “Stormers of Springbokke, maak nie saak nie, en as daar ‘n oorwinning is, staan die vonkelwyn reg.”\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Erna se jongste inisiatief het haar ware gees gewys. Sy het gere\u00ebl dat Frank Opperman twee weke gelede (Vrydag 7\u2009November) in die Weskus-skoolsaal as ‘n geldinsameling vir Huis Wittekruin in Vredenburg opgetree het,. “As jy die vermo\u00eb het om te help, dan moet jy,” s\u00ea sy eenvoudig.
Vir Erna is die lewe nie net iets om te oorleef nie \u2013 vir haar is dit iets om te vier, te deel en te doen, met oorgawe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Beloning is nie geld nie, maar hoe jy mense se lewe be- vorder. Ons is gemaak om spore te laat, en ek hoop myne wys altyd liefde,” s\u00ea sy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As jy eendag in Saldanhabaai se strate stap en ‘n helder lag hoor wat soos musiek deur die lug dans, is die kans groot dat dit Erna du Plessis is. 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