Persona in Progress

Time certainly flies when you are having fun…or just busy with life…
The past few weeks have been filled with amazing moments that have taken my breath away and left me feeling so grateful.

It started a few months ago when my husband and I attended a funeral. As these things go, it was an opportunity to reconnect with loved ones we hadn’t seen in ages (possibly years). That night, we both wondered aloud why it takes either a funeral or a wedding to bring us all together again. My husband has a large family, and he grew up enjoying their company. When he was younger, he spent weekends at his uncles’ and aunties’ houses, which created the beautiful foundation of a family that adores spending time together.

My family (aunties, cousins, grandparents, etc.) are all in Kerala, the southwestern state of India, so I didn’t have the privilege of spending time with my loved ones as often when I was younger. Growing up in South Africa in the ’90s meant I wrote only a handful of letters to a few cousins. So when I was introduced to my husband’s family, I was initially taken aback by how much time they willingly spent together. Every second weekend, there was an invitation to see the extended family (grandparents, cousins, friends, plus ones – everyone was welcome). It didn’t make sense to me. And just by the way, my husband is an introvert, so I was flabbergasted at how he encouraged this constant socialising.

As I attended more lunches, Christmas parties, and weekend gatherings, I realised why Christopher adored his family. They are people who love you for who you are and will drop everything to help. Family isn’t just about love; it’s about friendship, trust, and showing up for each other.

Back to that conversation between Christopher and me, musing on why we had stopped seeing our loved ones. Yes, we are always busy, and so is everyone else, but why are we letting that stop us from connecting with the people who matter most and showing up for each other? We decided to change the narrative and volunteered our house for an afternoon braai (barbecue). We set a date and informed the masses (there really are that many).

The first weekend of August brought most of us together again. It was exactly what our hearts needed. Three generations of Ransoms, Crails, and Hawkes gathered around a fire for an unforgettable afternoon. We seared meat over an open fire, broke bread, and giggled till our bellies hurt. It was a reminder of how important it is to continuously nurture our relationships. It reminded us that we don’t need an elaborate event to see each other, all we have to do is choose a date, bring a dish to share, and let everything else fall into place.

It’s all these little things, sharing a meal, laughing together, and simply showing up, that quietly remind us how big they truly are.