CHERISHED
It's a beautiful morning, sunny, blue skies, everything looks normal, your day planned out (pray, gym, breakfast, etc......), a few phone calls to loved ones, joy and laughter.... Then suddenly that one thing you didn't expect happens, your schedule is interrupted, something urgent came up and everything else stops being a priority.... Am sure this has happened to most of us.
It was indeed a wonderful Saturday morning, we made plans to visit my 8 year old nephew, who had been admitted in the hospital for sometime, due to a rare type of cancer that he had been diagonised with for the past 6 years. The hospital stays were usually short, but this time, it took longer than usual, 40 days to be exact. We'd fasted for 3 weeks for his healing, we believed a miracle would happen.
And so the phone rings, my sister, letting me know that we needed to rush to the hospital, his condition had deteriorated. From then on it was a race, rushing to the hospital! And the phones rang again, my sister, again, the news stunned me.... He had passed on... WoW! Really? Like really? What a moment it was, especially when it was the day, I thought I'd see him. But it wouldn't be so....
The week proved to be tough, what a bitter-sweet moment! Bitter because it would have been nice to have him around longer, yet sweet because all the beautiful and loving memories that we shared in the times we'd met and knowing that while we suffered a loss, heaven gained a sweet angel! I smiled alone most of the time, but also sad cos what a beautiful soul that I know I will miss for sure...
He was one of a kind, a loving sweet soul, very intelligent for his age (as a result, we nicknamed him "littleman" - he reasoned like an grown man), very well-behaved, a sense of humor out of this world, and what I really loved and appreciated about him was that he was a very resilient. No one could tell he was a cancer patient, because even as a boy, he didn't allow sickness to hinder him from living his life. He loved soccer and played it, he loved to dance, and he did dance, and loved to rap ( he was popular at school for soccer, dance and rap). Needless to say a great student too! :)))))
One thing I know for sure: is God's ability to heal our broken hearts... It would be one of those moments where His comfort was needed. I remember the Tuesday morning after he had passed, how it was a tough morning, so I turned to God, and prayed, I wanted to say goodbye, and honor his memory. But didn't know how. Later that day, God answered, my family asked if I could be a representative and honor his memory...
On the morning of the funeral, never have I seen a church packed for a funeral at 7am in the morning. I'd witnessed packed churches for movements of faith, but not for a funeral.... My nephew touched the lives of those around him, we as family members, his friends and their parents, his teachers.... The community came out and I wondered if it was a funeral of an 8 year old or an 80 year old man, who lived to serve others?
On behalf of my family, I said goodbye. What touched my heart were the tributes from all his Teachers and Principal, even the Principal knew him by name (and someone jokingly said: if the Principal knows you by name it means only 2 things 1. you are a trouble-maker or 2. you are a great student.... lol, he was a great student)!
He may have lived a short life, but through that short life, he touched peoples lives through his obedience, his charm, his resilient spirit, his love... I can go on... He lived and used his time to cherish the life he was given, and taught adults that just because life has challenges, you don't have to lose the joy of living. And I cherish every memory (and I am 100% sure that his parents, grand parents, his cousins, aunts and uncles do to). Though I have many favorite memories, my best memory would be when he couldn't pronounce my name: for a while I was known as Aunty "Nahau"! lol. And so I guess through the fasting we did for him, it was to help us get through this and come out even more filled with peace!
Yeah.... goodbye littleman... by the way you owed lobola! hahaha
Much Luv
Aunty Nahau...
It was indeed a wonderful Saturday morning, we made plans to visit my 8 year old nephew, who had been admitted in the hospital for sometime, due to a rare type of cancer that he had been diagonised with for the past 6 years. The hospital stays were usually short, but this time, it took longer than usual, 40 days to be exact. We'd fasted for 3 weeks for his healing, we believed a miracle would happen.
And so the phone rings, my sister, letting me know that we needed to rush to the hospital, his condition had deteriorated. From then on it was a race, rushing to the hospital! And the phones rang again, my sister, again, the news stunned me.... He had passed on... WoW! Really? Like really? What a moment it was, especially when it was the day, I thought I'd see him. But it wouldn't be so....
The week proved to be tough, what a bitter-sweet moment! Bitter because it would have been nice to have him around longer, yet sweet because all the beautiful and loving memories that we shared in the times we'd met and knowing that while we suffered a loss, heaven gained a sweet angel! I smiled alone most of the time, but also sad cos what a beautiful soul that I know I will miss for sure...
He was one of a kind, a loving sweet soul, very intelligent for his age (as a result, we nicknamed him "littleman" - he reasoned like an grown man), very well-behaved, a sense of humor out of this world, and what I really loved and appreciated about him was that he was a very resilient. No one could tell he was a cancer patient, because even as a boy, he didn't allow sickness to hinder him from living his life. He loved soccer and played it, he loved to dance, and he did dance, and loved to rap ( he was popular at school for soccer, dance and rap). Needless to say a great student too! :)))))
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| Pic Moment: We cherish the time we received to know you.... |
On the morning of the funeral, never have I seen a church packed for a funeral at 7am in the morning. I'd witnessed packed churches for movements of faith, but not for a funeral.... My nephew touched the lives of those around him, we as family members, his friends and their parents, his teachers.... The community came out and I wondered if it was a funeral of an 8 year old or an 80 year old man, who lived to serve others?
On behalf of my family, I said goodbye. What touched my heart were the tributes from all his Teachers and Principal, even the Principal knew him by name (and someone jokingly said: if the Principal knows you by name it means only 2 things 1. you are a trouble-maker or 2. you are a great student.... lol, he was a great student)!
He may have lived a short life, but through that short life, he touched peoples lives through his obedience, his charm, his resilient spirit, his love... I can go on... He lived and used his time to cherish the life he was given, and taught adults that just because life has challenges, you don't have to lose the joy of living. And I cherish every memory (and I am 100% sure that his parents, grand parents, his cousins, aunts and uncles do to). Though I have many favorite memories, my best memory would be when he couldn't pronounce my name: for a while I was known as Aunty "Nahau"! lol. And so I guess through the fasting we did for him, it was to help us get through this and come out even more filled with peace!
Yeah.... goodbye littleman... by the way you owed lobola! hahaha
Much Luv
Aunty Nahau...
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