Zibuyile iinkokheli

Hey Leader!

It’s been a couple of months since my last blog post. Four to be precise. Since then, we have wrapped up summer, transitioned into autumn and right now, we’re gearing up for spring. I must say, this year’s changes in season have somewhat caught me off guard both literally and figuratively.

First of all, when I relocated to Cape Town, I didn’t bring any warm clothing with me. You see at the end of 2021, I gave away most of my personal belongings in preparation for the newness that was coming with living in a foreign land with not only different cultures and languages, but a different climate as well.

I was moving to Mpumalanga, right at the border along Limpopo and if you know anything about those two provinces, they experience extremely hot temperatures. The kind that have you sweating bullets the minute you wake up. The kind that leaves you feeling uncomfortable from the stickiness of your own sweat.

So because I was moving into that environment, I of course, felt the need to strip off the weights of winter – clothes, shoes, you name it. I wanted to travel light and I did. Interestingly enough, contrary to what I imagined would happen, I didn’t accumulate more material things to compensate for what I had given up.

When I moved back to Cape Town this year, a turn in events I hadn’t anticipated prior, I still travelled light. I had two pieces of luggage and a handful of books (that I still haven’t read to this day). That’s all I had in my car. No jackets, no gown, no slippers, I mean, I really took the bare minimum because that’s really all I had needed previously.

I remember loading up my car on Friday night, February 3rd 2023 in preparation for what was going to be a long drive the next day. My Mom came into the garage and asked, “Is this all you’re taking with you? Are you sure you have everything you’ll need?” My response was simply, “Yep! If I’ve forgotten anything, I can always get it at a later stage because right now, it probably isn’t important enough to take it anyways.”

Fast forward a few hours later the following evening, I arrived in Cape Town. After the pleasantries that come with seeing your loved ones for the first time in a while, I opened my car to offload my things. My Cape Town Mom’s response as she helped take out one of the two pieces of luggage I had was, “Is this all?”

At that moment I wasn’t sure whether it was a question backed up by a sense of being impressed by how light I travel or a hint of concern. Nevertheless, we agreed that I wouldn’t be in need of anything regardless.

The transition from summer to autumn in Cape Town this year was quite subtle I must say. The days were still relatively long with short nights, and the weather remained pleasant. For that reason, I could still get away with the bare minimum that I had in my luggage.

However, the change from autumn to winter was a different experience altogether. One minute it was warm, and the next day it was as if a cold front had struck out of nowhere. I still have vivid memory of the day when I thought to myself, “Yaaa neh? It’s now winter…” April 27th 2023

That was the day I pulled out a blanket, was gifted a hot water bottle and slept in winter pjs for the first time in almost a year. I bet that day wasn’t even that cold, but because of my experience with seasons in the past year, I was freezing at the thought of 20 degree weather.

The transition to winter felt so abrupt and I felt unprepared because I truly was. Little did I know that not only would I feel that way in the natural but also in the spiritual. My life hit the middle of winter and I felt ambushed. There was no gradual introduction with the leaves changing colour prior dropping to the ground. The days didn’t slowly become shorter.

It just felt like I slept one day and woke up the next and all I could see on the ground were leaves and I missed the sunset because my beach walk that was usually at the same time in the evenings everyday was a few minutes too late.

I started buying warm pj sets, slippers, jackets, socks, boots, you know? The things that people wear in winter to keep them warm. Travelling light in a prior season was necessary but also, I had to understand that I was in a different season now and had to act accordingly.

Getting myself winter ready in the physical wasn’t hard, it was a matter of buying items as the need arose. I am sorted in that regard. My struggle right now, even with us approaching spring, has been handling the winter within.

This type of winter is different in so many aspects. One being the fact that you can be in the thick of it and no one would know. There are no external manifestations of it at times. No snow, no cold winds, no short days or long nights, and neither are there bare trees to bear witness to the fact.

At first, I had no idea what season I was in. I had no language nor references for it. Being the person that I am, I love using words to describe whatever it is that I am experiencing with my senses. This however, I had no vocabulary for and I barely struggle with finding words.

We are now at the end of this season – the days are becoming warmer, shops have traded their winter gear for spring/summer appropriate regalia, my sunset-chasing escapades aren’t met with the disappointment of overcast skies.

I am finding the words to describe my winter. Dare I say, although I don’t know whether I am also approaching spring like nature or whether I’ll still have to live through a few more days in this season, I have learned a few things about walking graciously through what other people might not be privy to.

King Solomon the wise said:

To everything there is a season; a time for every purpose under heaven…

Ecclesiastes 3:1

In part 2 of this post, I am hoping to share what my experience of winter looked like, tie it in with my previous post titled “Do no squander this season” and perhaps help someone make sense of what may be their winter season.

As you do life and lead, I hope you know that seasons come for a very specific reason and once that is done, they make way for the next. Hang in there.