The day before Father's Day has been declared by me as a day that I will spend with all those children that meet the criteria to be grandchildren of me as their Big Daddy. This year 2022 was the inaugural Big Daddy Day, I invited my grandchildren Muhlurhi, Rhulani, Nkosiyabo, and Ringane for a braai. They are 6, 2, 1, and sub-1 years old respectively.
The day started with a photo shoot at a studio in Lynwood Road. The experience was exhilarating. Photoshoots generally attract varying responses from kids, in the company of strangers, and this time we had an orchestra of crying by Nkosiyabo and Ringane, whilst the big sisters were trying to calm things. (I will send pictures).
The photoshoot has my entire family, except Nomsa, Innocent, and Folofelo. Innocent and Folofelo are my sons-in-law. We also missed my other family Toutie and Wife, Khukhi and Husband, Tebogo, Semakaleng, and all grandkids there. It was a blessed gathering. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. I missed my parents and siblings, how I wish I had extended the invitation. I have however committed to inviting a few and all to next year's Big Daddy's Day. All living grannies will be there.
We proceeded to a braai and light lunch. It was a chance to sit and marvel at the fellowship between and amongst siblings. My wife was knitting stitches on the interaction between grandchildren and their mothers, whilst managing my calmness as I was getting intense with emotions of joy. The eldest of my grandchildren, Muhlurhi, kept me busy with her incisive questions, as my South Eastern Louisiana University enrolled daughter Mikateko took the role of DJ-ing Amapiano for us.
Mooms, my youngest daughter, was up and about in the Kitchen, after a morning spell at school where she was completing her art assignment. Nombulelo was deep in territory marking with Nkosiyabo, they were doing walkabouts and deep in a discussion, only Nombulelo could understand what my 1-year-old grandson was 'eintlik' saying. The braai brigade, which included me and my son, Mathebula, was deep in 'tshatshambising' the environment. And within a few minutes, late lunch was served, and we ate, fellowshipped, and really intermingled. It was the best of times.
What was special about the coming together was that it marked the beginning of an opportunity to come together to bless each other with each other's presence. Love prevailed and conquered, joy became the firmament. The time for the grandchildren to leave arrived, we said our goodbyes, and we hugged and kissed. It was indeed a blessed day.
As the day was retiring, I remembered those moments in Soweto and Gautšwane when we went to visit my grandparents. I felt I am feeling what my grandmother felt. I saw her joy in asking me to get her a glass of water, or a cup of tea, as I asked Muhlurhi to peel an orange for me. I saw why my maternal grandfather would fall asleep carrying one of my cousins under an apricot tree on the northern side of 1037 Central Western Jabavu. I understood why my father would continually call Koketso, my brother's eldest daughter, every time he felt joyous. Yes, I went through an experience, and the journey has begun.
Came Sunday the real Father's Day, I woke up to messages of love from the many other people I did not know I am also fathering. I was showered with hugs by my daughters that remained from the day before. I played a few songs to celebrate myself as a father in remembrance of my Father Fanie Gitsha Mathebula, Khalanga. I prayed for my children and their children, I declared that 'no weapon formed against any of their portions shall prosper', 'I dedicated them to the glory of God', 'I rebuked any devourer of their abundance according to all that God has deposited in the blessings of their parents'. We got ready and went to church, we were blessed by a word in season from General Overseer Bishop Titus Sithole.
My wish is for these types of days to be celebrated with my siblings and their grandchildren and children. This I declared it shall come to pass too. God will come to our family, he will heal it, and there shall be an unencumbered fellowship for posterity's sake.
The rest of the day was filled with my wife's signature lamb stew, a Black Forest cake and custard as dessert, hot water, and lemon to inconvenience the sugars we volunteered into our bodies, a glass of Shiraz, a Netflix Movie, and the off to writing this rendition as a historical piece. This will be backed up by a photo presentation for those attached to my social media spaces.
God loved my family that He allowed me the opportunity to be its father, and favored me with the beautiful souls that made my weekend one of the many memorable ones coming. Thank you to my sweet wife, Jane, for being the warm person she is with Kids. We can both improve, this is a form of Ministry, and we are open to being the Priests. Amen.
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