I will remember my recent birthday as an exceptional special celebration. We were in Austria for the weekend, and the autumn beauty and our being together played a role, but I also received a wonderful surprise gift.

Christo and Simone decided to put together a collection of Letters to Emsia. With the help of Charl and my sister, they collected letters and photos from family and friends. It was a pleasant surprise that had me in tears. Everyone’s compassionate words were like a blanket of love that enveloped me. However, it was also like a mirror that gave me a clearer view of the nature of my relationships and their perceptions of me.

The variety of people in my life

The letters emphasized the variety and diversity of the people in my life. As I read each letter, I could hear the writer’s voice with recognizable sayings. With each relationship, we have different points of interest, symbols and memories with which we celebrate the friendship. I share some examples.

A creative friend

One of my friends and I decided that the colour of our friendship was yellow. It is a symbol of joy for us. I enjoyed her letter’s play on yellow.

Although I use technology, in my mind’s eye, I am writing you a letter in my best handwriting on a 1970s notepad page (collected as a hobby in elementary school days) with an old-fashioned Sarah Moon picture on and with a yellow Bic pen in my hand. (to make you nostalgic about our childhood era in South Africa). I close my letter with much love and joy and put it in a bright yellow envelope, especially for you.

A numbers-orientated friend

As you know, numbers are more my thing. However, I’m going to write you a birthday note. I imagine God was in an exceptional, good mood the day he created you.

With all the steadfastness, God thought she might be a bit boring – so God gave Emsia a great sense of humour. He also gives her the talent to be content. God looked at her that way, and He was also pleased.

My first friend

My first friendship is 50 years old. She is one year and one day older than me and taught me to read when she was in 1st grade. We both became accountants, had Kruger as married surnames and baptized our children on the same day in the town we grew up in because our roots are in the Kalahari. They christened their son Charl Kruger, and we ours Christo Charl Kruger. We both currently live abroad.

She wrote,

There are so many memories I share with you. The list goes on and on. Some are fun, some nostalgic and some just plain hurt. It reflects true friendship – through thick and thin.

In-laws

The letters reaffirmed to me how rich I am with my in-laws. When you marry or share your life with someone, you become part of another family.

I got to know the Kruger family as a student. We stayed in touch, even after I stopped writing Kruger after my name. I am friends with my sons’ nieces and nephews on social media and watch their life paths unfold.

With my second chance in love and life, I became part of the Goosen family. I have two older sisters-in-law who keep in touch and share love and sorrow even though we live across different continents. In the form of Candice, Charl’s brother’s daughter, I gained a daughter when she lost her parents.

We still have contact with Charl’s father-in-law from his previous marriage and adopted him as Zander’s Grandfather. He visited and played with Zander on Saturdays and offered Charl and me a few hours without responsibilities. According to him, he is now a remote grandfather. He is a father figure for both Charl and me.

My children

In my older sons’ words, I could see that even though they appreciated my role as a mother, they were also beginning to see the other dimensions that make up all of my being. They now understand better the challenges of keeping busy boys full of creative plans alive.

My 15-year-old youngest explained in his letter that he already knows that in the future, he will also have a better appreciation for the things that annoy him now.

For many, photos are a way to preserve memories or share experiences with others. My mother likes to take pictures. She always has her camera and has even saved every photo she has taken over the past 30 years. In theory, it seems like a good idea, but my dad and I must pose and wait for her to take pictures everywhere we go!

Mom, know that next time we tease you for taking pictures, we’re just saying we love you. We may not see the full benefits now, but the number of thanks you will receive when we see them in a few years will make it worth it. So thank you, Mom, for caring and loving us, even when you can’t see our gratitude.

My realization

The biggest realization from all the letters was the importance of expressing our love and appreciation for the people in our lives while we have the opportunity. The letters I received were exactly that.

Regards

Emsia