As far back as I can remember I have had an annual meeting with New Year’s Eve.
Same place: a spot where the ocean meets the desert.
Same time: when the sun is starting to set over the sea.
After all these years, Eve and I are totally comfortable with each other. Me, sitting on the sand – sipping my coffee, and her – hovering around me with her huge, wise presence.
With the old year’s last setting sun, she popped that familiar and expected question: So – how was it? Usually I feel that I am ready for it, but this year her voice wiped away all my well-phrased premeditated answers and left me with……. nothing.
I had to start from scratch.
It was almost dark when I finally told her. 2013 was uncomfortable. Nothing bad happened, in fact – a lot of good things happened. But it was as if the year didn’t sit quite well. It was like that new chair that you keep moving around in a room but just cannot find the right spot for it.
I didn’t have to wait long for the second question: Anything to be thankful for about the year?
This time I started to talk immediately.
I told her about the joy of that specific moment: my family watching the traditional seafood “potjie” cooking slowly on the fire; the dogs blissfully napping on their blankets after a joyful day on the beach frolicking with their humans; my handful of awesome, special and exceptional friends; the soul-lifting privilege to be able to connect with my roots from time to time; the amazingly surreal moment I had singing “Lisa se Klavier” with the legendary writer himself at Oppikoppi 2013 in front of 10 000+ people; the….
An hour later I was still talking. Eve left long ago, with a very satisfied smile on her face I’d imagine… 2013 was GREAT man!!
2014 will be, too.
~andra