Vetnuus | November 2023 4 « BACK TO CONTENTS REMEMBER THAT BEING GRATEFUL IS ABOUT APPRECIATING WHAT ONE HAS, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT ONE WANTS. BEING THANKFUL OR THANKING SOMEONE OFTEN IMPLIES YOU ARE ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR THANKS FOR SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE HAS GIVEN YOU. Still suffering a little ‘adrenaline’ hangover, like I am sure many, many South Africans do, after the Springboks’ World Cup Victory I have a great thankfulness in my heart. That is whatever was left of my heart after the second one point victory in a row by the Boks. As a nation of many colours, we needed a little something to spark unity again. So many things (and unfortunately people) try to pull the people of this country apart. "Sport has the power to change the world." Nelson Mandela was not wrong when he coined that phrase! He continued: “Sport has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.” Today I am part of that youth. Even in my little town, the colour green pulled strangers into conversations. The excitement was tangible. The victory is much more than the 2023 South Africa engraved on the Web Ellis Cup. These men are the heroes of the day. I am thankful that we won I am grateful for what it did for South Africa “Thanksgiving Day, annual national holiday in November in the United States and Canada celebrating the harvest and other blessings of the past year. Americans generally believe that their Thanksgiving is modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people” www.britannica.com Being on the other side of the world, the harvest season in South Africa is more likely to be in April and June and therefore the celebrations never really caught on. That is no reason why we cannot use November as a time to look back on the year and reflect on the things we can be thankful and grateful for. Finding things to be thankful for is quite easy as per the above definition it is an acknowledgement after you receive something. Some stuff you receive short term like a salary or an increase. But some things you receive but do not know the full effect thereof. One such thing is your upbringing. Only after you leave your growing-up home do you realise what it entails to manage a household. That should bring into the heart a thankfulness to the people who cared for you when you were growing up. I can be a very positive person and don’t find it difficult to identify things to be grateful for. Maybe I am spoiled by living in the bush has an effect but I wake up with a deep awareness of how blessed I am. I try and find things that I cannot live without. The basic things and I am grateful for them. Yesterday I was grateful that we had a pool and at 35 degrees I could jump in and cool down. Today I am grateful that it is not 35 degrees any more (Even though I know more heat will come) Take some time in November to reflect on what you have learned this year, and be grateful for the lessons that changed your personal or professional life. Take time to reflect on what you have achieved, it may be small like a new technique you mastered or maybe you did an Ironman. Take time to reflect on the people around you and how they shape your life. Have a great, thankful, grateful and happy November. Andriette v From the Editor Editor’s notes / Redakteurs notas Andriette van der Merwe Take time and love yourself, you are the only YOU. You are worthy, capable, strong, enough, intelligent, gifted
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