Its hard to believe that it has almost been a year since Tabitha was born. Next Tuesday she would have turned 1! It is an emotional time for us as we are reminded of the events from one year ago. Wessel and I watched some videos the other night that he took on his phone of her. Seeing her cute little face again, moving and making sounds seems so unreal. Needless to say we were both in tears. It reminded me that she was a real person. She lived and died. She is not someone that I hoped for but never met. She is my daughter, I am her mother and we spent lots of hours together. Precious hours that I will never forget. Wessel also reminded me that our tears are for ourselves, and not for her, because she is whole and healthy and perfectly happy where she is now. She is so much better off. We cry because we really really miss her. She left a gap in our lives and in our hearts even though her life was so brief.
I decided to start a new family tradition. Wessel and I are building a kite, and we are going to celebrate her birthday by flying the kite and having a picnic and just enjoying some time out in the park. For me kites remind me of being a child. Kites are fun and free and pretty. It will be my way of reaching out to Tabitha and wishing her a happy birthday. Saying that we miss her and are thankful for her and think about her all the time. Its also fun to build a kite together as a couple and one day when we have other children (God willing) we'll do it with them and use the opportunity to tell them about their older sister in heaven. And August - known as the windy month - seems like the perfect timing for kite flying!
And the best thing of all is that EVERYONE and ANYONE is welcome to come and watch our kite (fly). We'll be at Emmarentia Dam (in the open spaces close to the Beyers Naude/Thomas Bowler road entrance) on Sunday 5 August from around 12h00. Come and say hi and bring your own picnic stuff. Or bring your own kite if you're up for it! Don't RSVP or anything, just come if you are in Joburg and if you feel like it.
