Let's Talk: Youth Day🇿🇦 + Father's Day: A dual celebration?

Good morning/afternoon/

evening, you beautiful people! 

It is a chilly winter evening as I write to you all on June 16th. Today is a dual holiday as, it is Youth Day and Father's Day. 

I absolutely adore Youth Day, as it reminds me that the freedom that I enjoy as a black youth was fought for. It gives me courage in moments when I lack it. It reminds me that I am my ancestors' wildest dreams and I need to keep going. I take my daily life in with more awe and respect because people, my people died for me to be able to do what I do with such ease. I absolutely am grateful for Youth Day and the ripple effect that it has had in South Africa. Their sacrifices were not in vein. The sung and unsung heroes of my rainbow nation have helped me to become the woman that I am. I am forever grateful to them. Because of them I am able to enjoy my homeland. 🇿🇦🙏

On the other hand, it is Father's Day. A day that I have come to dislike greatly. It reminds me of what I do not have and it has always been such a bitter holiday. I come back to this post. 

A post that I wrote about Father's Day in 2020

I honestly can't lie and say that it gets better because I am honestly not there yet. What I do know is the importance of honesty. It important not to look at your relationship with your father through rose coloured glasses. If it's not good for health to be a relationship with them, then don't entertain the idea because of pressure. If all you have with him is a surface level relationship with him, then that's okay too. Do what is best for you, remembering that a relationship is a two-way street. Based on mutual love, trust and respect. Noting that respect is earned, trust can be broken and love is so much more than a feeling. 

Honour yourself and your father to the best of your ability! If you have a healthy relationship with your father. You are one of the lucky ones, go give your ol' man a hug! 

In future, be extremely picky who you decide to procreate with should you decide to become a parent, remembering that it is a choice. Become the kind of father that you needed, choose the kind of man who help you break the cycle of broken girls and boys. 

Remembering that many fathers who create daddy issues have daddy issues. Let's all work on ourselves and learn from our broken fathers, instead of just moping about their inexcusable behaviour. 

It's also my birthday, this upcoming Tuesday and I am so excited and extremely blessed to be turning 22💞! 

Question of the week: What do Youth Day and Father's Day mean to you?

All my love❤️

Ruthy 

May Reflections

Good morning/afternoon/

evening, you beautiful people!

In honour of the month that was and looking towards the beautiful month that now is. I am delighted to share with you all my monthly reflections and lessons. It feels as though winter has come out of nowhere! Stay warm, Friends! ❤️

Do it for love, not the glory or outcome 

In life, we all have passions and we hope to be rewarded, seen and validated. While this is completely normal, healthy, even to a certain degree. It is important to remember to enjoy the journey, to enjoy the present moment, more than anything else. Do what you do because you enjoy it and let any other thing gained be a surplus. The month of May taught me to just enjoy doing what I love, even if nothing else comes out of it. The fact that I was able to spend so much time doing something I love is a memory that I will cherish and hold dear, for years to come. Follow your passions out of love, not because you simply wish to be seen. It will make whatever you spend your time doing more meaningful💞. If you like it, if it matters to you, if you enjoy it then that is all that matters. 

It's okay to ask God for confirmation 

It's okay to be like Gideon. It's okay to ask God for confirmation. It does not make you any less of a believer or a Child of God. When I ask God for confirmation, I become very specific, as Gideon was. I ask for a very specific thing to happen or for someone to say something and I tell no one else of what I have asked God to confirm until I have received my confirmation. This puts me at ease when I make a decision that I need clarity on. If you do not know, it's more than okay to ask our Heavenly Father for counsel, support and confirmation. 

May was Mental health awareness month and for anyone who is struggling or going through it. I see you, I hear you, I honour your courage to keep on, keeping on. 🙏Life comes and goes in waves, one day it will feel better. It's okay if today isn't that day, tomorrow may be better. 

All my love❤️

Ruthy 

Let's Talk: Voting for the first time and the problem with elections 🇿🇦

Good morning/afternoon/ evening, you beautiful people! 

It's my birthday month! 🎂I am turning 22 on the 18th of this month and it's a new and exciting era as I am getting deeper into my twenties and I am thinking about the adult that I would like to become. The month of May, well I did not journal as often as I should have and I don't remember much about the month. Or rather I do not wish too🧐, I need to journal about this! 😂

The month of June is always a month that I take with such earnesty and reflection. June is Youth month in South Africa, which is a month to commemorate the slaughtered youth of our country who paved the way for the freedom that we, as black people experience daily. 

I voted for the first time on Wednesday and it was quite the experience. I knew exactly who I wanted to vote for and why I wanted to vote for them and that made all the difference.

 I realize that there is a huge shaming culture when it comes to those who do not vote in South Africa. I am firmly against this because I believe that everyone has the right to vote or to abstain. Freedom is a basic human right and being bullied into doing something that you do not feel ready for, is what I believe to an abuse of this right of freedom of choice. I believe that anyone who is a citizen of this country has the right to complain, critic and praise our politicians. That's what freedom is, it is having choices and not being bullied when the choice does not favour a particular cause. Looking at statistics, those did not vote did not even register. Which does not come as a surprise because not enough was done actively, on the ground to encourage registration and make the process smooth and easy for citizens. 

Many people need to understand who they are voting for and that process does not begin 3-6 months before elections. What are the marketing teams of these political groups doing? Citizens have lost trust in them, the most basic thing to do would be to work on earning it back, throughout the 5 years. Then ensuring that citizens understand the importance of registering.

In my opinion, what's missing most in our country is education but not just education but a method of informing all of our citizens. A job that I would gladly take on! A middleman whose job is to hold the government accountable, whilst thoroughly informing our citizens of their rights, privileges and responsibilities. 

Question of the week: How long do you think Eskom will hold out for before bringing back loadshedding? 

What changes would you like to see in our country 🇿🇦? 

All my love ❤️

Ruthy