drift, perspectives in surfing

My time as au pair for the Italian family has come to an end; four weeks and three happy children later the drive back home leaves me time to reflect.

I started at eight in the mornings and finished sometimes late at night. My days were filled with outings, gelato, long lazy picnics on sunny afternoons. Never-ending farm days – from welcoming eight piglets into the world, watching them take their first breath of fresh air to saying good bye to Natasha the farm pony; visiting the puppies from dusk until dawn to skipping stones on the pond; and last but not least teaching the kids the sounds and names of the birds in the forest, indigenous to South Africa. Every moment shared in joy, freedom, excitement, laughter, sorrow and love.

Life is one big learning curve; as Alanis Morissette puts it “You live you learn, you love you learn, you cry you learn, you lose you learn, you bleed you learn, you scream you learn”. Of my life so far, these moments have been the most precious and of all the lessons I have learned, these have been the most awakening. Challenging yourself, because running that extra mile is worth it every time. Patience and tolerance, because being inquisitive is not a crime but only a sign of a healthy heart and mind. Endless laughter, selflessness, unconditional love. There is excitement in knowing that every minute of every day is like no other, but that the sun rises every morning and sets every evening no matter how the day started or how it will end.

Hopscotch, beach slugs and forest walks. Sunsets, sunrise, bath time and fireplace fairytales. Sunshine, shadows and make believe. The world through a child’s eyes is something quite magical and I have truly become an observer, an admirer, a fan.

Life teaches us many things, every day, every minute, every sunny Sunday afternoon. Every day is new; every day is different. Valuable truths are found when our feet leave the ocean floor to help us float and swim. I left home with a cup half empty, I returned with cup half full.