So I had to stop myself and ask, why is something happening halfway around the world affecting me so much? I have been fortunate enough to travel to many places on this spinning orb. What is it about my time in Cape Town that has my heart breaking as I hear the news of the devastating fire that is currently raging, not only on Table Mountain, but actually burning down places that I know so well and lived so near.
Yes, I used to hike from the house I was living in to Rhodes Memorial, both of which are likely gone. The tea house at the memorial is a confirmed loss. I have no idea how far into Mowbray the fire will go, so the house may survive. Really devastating is the damage to University of Cape Town, specifically the Jagger Library. Irreplaceable maps, writings and books are gone. Stories from indigenous Cape inhabitants gone… And still no one knows what tomorrow will bring as the fire is still burning out of control.
All that said, the heartbreak doesn’t seem justified for someone living on the other side of the world who spent so little time there in the scheme of things. Then I sat down and thought about it. The time I spent at University of Cape Town wasn’t just about a place, it was far more important to the person that I would become. It was the first and possibly the only time in my life where I was truly the master of my fate and captain of my soul. I was not being defined and controlled by family. There was no one there to tell me who I was, what I liked or how I could be better.
The year I spent in Cape Town I was truly independent. All my choices and decisions where my own. I was proud of my choices and accomplishments. There was no one there to diminish that pride or tell me what I did or chose wrong. It wasn’t an easy year by any means. The workload at UCT was much harder that what I was used to at my US university, but I was up for the task! I succeeded, grew and realized I could stand on my own. Cape Town gave me that! It gave me confidence to be me and know that being be was a good thing. They call Cape Town the Mother City, it truly was a mother for me, she helped me learn to stand on my own two feet! To trust in myself ❤️❤️❤️
Please keep Cape Town in your thoughts and prayers! This isn’t over for them. Hopefully tomorrow will see more control. Please let the winds die down. Pray for the safety of the fire fighters, and the displaced students. Let the Mother City heal. She means so much to so many!
