Love to her means ‘charity to others’. What she values most is communication. Her friends would describe her as a straightforward, yet loving and caring person. However, she’s no push-over. Learning to say ‘I’m sorry’ and asking for forgiveness after a misunderstanding is important. It helps to get along with people from different walks of life.
She remembers the very first song she ever learnt to play on the small guitar her daddy bought her as a child was “I’m sitting on the top of the world”. Mind you, at almost 70 years of age, she still plays her guitar at funerals and prayer meetings.
Growing up was not easy. But, it taught her valuable life lessons. She still remembers the days when you did your washing by hand, using ‘blousel’ to get it crisp and clean. Making and eating pot-bread, carrying pails of water for home use, brings back powerful childhood memories.
Having never been married due to her selfless care of her parents and a physically disabled sibling, she was forced to leave school at what was then standard six (now grade 8). But she grew up with a strong sense of self-worth, and during the entire interview stressed that she has absolutely ‘no regrets’ for how her life turned out. She warns the younger generation to honour and respect their parents, and to listen to their wise counsel without which she verifies, she would have not made it thus far in life.
For young parents today she advises to be aware of what your children’s interests are, and try by all means to be involved in their lives. Her dad saw that she liked watching him play the guitar and one day he came home and had bought her a small guitar of her own. Her nephew then helped her but for all intents she is self-taught on the instrument, and the rest as they say is history. Which really shows her sense of determination that once she puts her mind to something, she wants to complete it.
This lady possesses the strength of ten younger than herself, and keeps her living quarters in a pristine condition. When we walked in she had her music volume up and was listening to Betty Wright’s ‘Tonight is the night’. Oh how I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. It really made me smile. She is enthusiastic about life and it immediately rubs off on those around her. Besides the golden oldies, she loves listening to Gospel and Country music. She’s fun, and full of energy. She exudes confidence and strength in equal measures.
She wonders if the ‘gap’ between parents and kids nowadays is perhaps not due to the fact that we are too easy on them. We buy our kids ‘stuff’ without them working for it, and they don’t learn to be savvy about their money at a young age. If we disciplined them more in line with God’s Word, perhaps we would make more impact? This was more a question than an answer.
She also stresses that sometimes ‘tough love’ needs to be practiced to bring a disobedient child in line. That way they will learn to stand on their own two feet!
This lady is organised to a tee. To the point that she’s already got her entire obituary written out and placed strategically where it should be easy to find should, God forbid, something happens to her as she says. Not that she wants to die tomorrow, but just in case…there will no wondering as to what her final wishes are.
Other than that she lives in the moment. If she’s wrong, she will be quick to apologise and make peace. If it is reciprocated, well and good. If not, she carries on and ‘lets the music play on’. Because as she says ‘this is my time now’. I looked after everyone; my parents and my siblings. Now it is my time. I do what makes me happy, and that mostly means going to prayer meetings, playing in the Youth band at her church, and she loves singing.
Well, I really felt energised after a long day when I left Ms Josephine’s room. She is indeed one of a kind! Originally from the lovely town of Knysna but she landed in Cape Town when she was about 20 years of age. Pity that our time ran out so soon, because I felt I could spend hours more in her company and not be bored for a second. I’m sure that there is so much more to learn from this vibrant, young at heart, senior citizen.