Yesterday a friend's Blackberry status said, "Everyone dies, not everyone lives." The ironic part is, Johan's grandfather, Oupa rather, passed away yesterday. At 92, this man had lived. He'd been a farmer most of his life in the Eastern Free States of South Africa, but he'd traveled the world, seen two World Wars and inventions like the telephone and first heart transplant, all things we take for granted.
I wrote about our last vist to Ouma and Oupa here, when Ouma had fallen and we went to visit her in the hospital. Only three short months ago and now Oupa is gone. I remember the day I first meet Oupa, at Johan's cousin's wedding. From across the lawn I heard a shout, "Where is that American girl? I want to talk some English to her!" I spent the next hour or so with him, hearing about his travels, telling him about my home. He flirted with me like you wouldn't believe. At 89, he was still charming the ladies.
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| I love how she is holding his hand - big tears! |
My most vivid memory of Oupa is from our last visit. I wrote this in To Ouma We Go:
Ouma lay in her bed, thin, pale and weak. When she saw Oupa she started crying, she had thought he was dead. Lying in the hospital is making her lose her mind a bit. Oupa touched her face and told her she was silly, he wasn't going anywhere. I thought I saw tears in his eyes. He probably won't go anywhere. He will loose her, before she looses him. As I watched them interact with each other my heart swelled up.
She is still in the rehabilitation centre and he was at the nursing home. Fortunately, she has gotten better. Unfortunately, we lost him to pneumonia. When Johan's Uncle broke the news to her, he said it's like she already knew. I think she did.
Everyone dies, not everyone lives. Johan, Ava and I have a lot of livin' to do.
Speakin' of living, we've been super busy lately. Celebrating friend's 30th birthdays on the Vaal River, baby showers, Ava turned 9 months, won her first gold medal at the school sports day and much more. Here's a few pics of what we've been up to.
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| The Vaal makes me miss Lake Wateree/Norman and the many, many good times had there. |
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| Ava and her Oupa |
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| Sports Day 2011 - Mommy and Ava, taking up the lead! |
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| Ava trying to eat her first gold medal! |
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| 9 Months - YAY! |
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Loves her new pool!
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~live life to the fullest~
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