10 February – Knysna

Still in Knysna and this morning it’s foggy. It drizzles a bit and it is cool and that is very good for our sleep.

Monday we made a visit to the hospital in George for a check-up of Lisa’s father. It was mostly a time consuming visit. We were there at 9 o’clock in the morning and drove away at half past two in the afternoon and all that for a consultation of less than 10 minutes. This is in law’s do almost every month where you have to consider that George is an hour and a half away from Dysselsdorp and that they depend on family and friends to bring them there. It is the same everywhere in the world!  My father-in-law decided to continue the treatment closer to home, in Oudtshoorn.

The rest of the week we did very little. Every day Lisa walked with Tamara (and sometimes with me) to the village for groceries. My in-laws enjoyed the tranquillity here and the beautiful view over the bay.

We brought them home on Friday but they come back in 2 weeks.

This place here brings me many new insights, in myself. Because there are few obligations, boredom and how to experience it is something that we, westerners, have forgotten.

Being bored is fantastic, really, although it takes some time before you can enjoy it. How good being bored is, I noticed last week once again when there were some issues, partly business, partly private. I noticed that those issues where the emotional charge was significant, a violent bodily reaction resulting in bad sleep and headache occurred. Now I will never be able to banish this type of business from my life, but I can of course adapt the way I am dealing with it. As my sister Hanneke has said to me many times, I don’t have to catch every ball. I may well drop a few….. and maybe a whole bunch!

An enjoyable part of the situation in which Lisa and I are at the moment is that a whole lot of things no longer are compulsory but become voluntary. The fact that we have made choices and still make for a certain way of living and do not let us prescribe what ‘ must or can ‘ give us freedom, both financially, physically and spiritually. It gives us the space to enjoy and be extremely proud of our fantastic children and grandchild (and son-in-law!) who lead their lives as they wish.

Hold on to it now!

Tuesday evening I’m going to pick up Tom in Cape Town, a ride of about 7 hours (480 km). Wednesday, he may drive me to Knysna because he is allowed to drive from the insurance company (double deductible, though). I hear him already complaining about the speed….