Die dood bly nou maar eenmaal wat dit is . . . \u2019n onsigbare vriend en skaduwee wat die heeltyd ons aardse reis deel. Hoe en wanneer hy sy verskyning gaan maak, weet ons nie. Ons kan daardie vriend en skaduwee nie wegwens nie, want die sigbare tekens van hierdie stille vriend is elke dag, week, maand en jaar oral sigbaar. Ons sien en ervaar dit as ons nog \u2019n keer lees van iemand wat ons skielik verlaat het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baie kere is dit sonder enige tekens of waarskuwing \u2013 sommer net so skielik. En dan ruk dit aan die hart en wese van ons bestaan; word ons opnuut bewus van ons eie broosheid en die seker wete dat ook ek en jy daardie paadjie sal moet stap. Die een groot vraag wat altyd soos \u2019n hoofopskrif in \u2019n koerant sal verskyn, is hoe ons onthou sal word vir die tydjie wat ons hier op aarde deurgebring het. En of dit nou goed of sleg was \u2013 onthou sal ons onthou word. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sommer hier aan die begin van die nuwe jaar het ek saam met derduisende saggies geween oor die heengaan van iemand wat ek nie eens persoonlik geken het nie. Ek moet erken dit het my half onkant betrap \u2013 dat ek lanklaas daardie intense gevoel van hartseer ervaar het oor die heengaan van \u2019n vreemdeling. Daai gevoel was amper oorweldigend en half onwerklik, want die mens wat ek saam met derduisende gegroet het, was inderdaad een van daardie \u201clarger-than-life<\/span>\u201d- persoonlikhede. Ek herhaal, ek het hom nie persoonlik geken nie en tog het hy homself laat leer ken deur sy dade van omgee, uitreik na ander en die onvoorwaardelike gee van homself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ek het die inskrywings op sosiale media van tyd tot tyd gevolg en altyd gewonder hoe een mens so besig kan wees in die lewe van ander; hoe een mens soveel kan doen en van homself gee sonder om twee keer te dink. As daar nood was, was hy daar. As daar \u2019n groot gebeurtenis of \u2019n voorval was (gewoonlik hartseer en traumaties van aard) sou hy eerste wees om die nuus met ander te deel, maar daarmee saam ook die nodige ondersteuning verskaf om die krisis af te weer en nuwe hoop te help skep. Daar was iets aan hierdie mens wat anders was as ander mense. Iets van hom het my laat glo dat dit wat hy vir sy medemens gedoen het, niks met sy eie ego te doen gehad het nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hy het iets verstaan van die nood wat in ons gemeenskappe bestaan. Sy oor, oog, hart en hand was een met hulle in nood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Demografie, velkleur of die aard van die nood het nie vir hom saak gemaak nie. As daardie oom, antie of kind iewers by \u2019n vulstasie verlore, verlate en vergete agtergelaat is, het hy dit sy plig geag om \u2019n helpende hand te verleen. As daar nog \u2019n oproep vir kosvoorraad gemaak moes word om die armstes van die armes by te staan, dan het hy dit skaamteloos en met ywer gedoen. Hier was iemand wat met sy menswees die harte van ander geraak het. Almal kon dit raaksien en sy goeie dade kon nie deur sy grootste vyande ge\u00efgnoreer word nie. Sy stem en aksies het hoop oorgedra. Dit het hoop gekommunikeer in \u2019n tydvak in ons land waar almal van ons dit so bitter nodig gehad het en steeds nodig het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ek het meermale by myself gedink as van ons politieke leiers net \u2019n klein bietjie wil gaan leer by hierdie een mens wat in soveel mense se lewe \u2019n verskil gemaak het; as hulle net \u2019n bietjie kreatiwiteit, wilskrag en waagmoed aan die dag wil l\u00ea om \u2019n daadwerklike verskil te maak in die lewe van hul mense in daai wyk, gemeenskap of distrik. Of dalk is die heengaan van hierdie mens juis \u2019n vertoonvenster vir ons almal om te besef dat ons almal daardie verskil in die lewe van ons medemens kan wees. As die leiers en strukture ons dan faal, moet ons self inspring en daardie verskil teweegbring tot voordeel van ons medemens. Mense word ge\u00efnspireer deur die positiewe aksies van ander mense. Mense ervaar hoop deur die voorbeeld en goeie dade wat ander doodgewone mense met almal deel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My hart bloei saam met die familie en vriende van hierdie uitsonderlike mens wat soveel vir sy medemens beteken het. Hy was die profeet wat lig gebring het in tye van stikdonkerte in ons land. Hy was die profeet met wie almal kon identifiseer, veral di\u00e9 van ons wat daai dae ken as daar net \u2019n klein bietjie mieliemeel en vier snye brood in die koskas oor is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Profeet, jou heengaan sal saam met ons trane die monument word wat ons sal oprig om jou nagedagtenis te eer. Jy het ons opnuut kom herinner wat dit is om die voete van jou naaste te was; om te dien en nie gedien te word nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n En as daardie onsigbare vriend en skaduwee, die dood, uiteindelik sy draai by my ook kom maak, wil ek, soos jy, onthou word vir die goeie wat ek aan ander gedoen het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rus sag, profeet wat ek nie persoonlik geken het nie. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bly hoop en 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