Aunty Peggy’s 2019
2019 was a good year for Mum. She is so glad to be close to family and has especially loved the visits this year from her friends, local and from afar, and for time spent with family – local and from afar! What a joy to have Kev and Moni and children, and Darren and Carin and children visit in December!
Mum had no serious health issues last year, apart from her ongoing battle with arthritis. (She’s had arthritis since before 1977 – when she was in her late forties. We know this because we remember her hands being painful when wringing out her first grandson’s towelling nappies! What a great grandmother she has always been – from nappies forward!)
Her wonderful G.P. has treated her ‘pro deum’ from the time she and Dad arrived in Fish Hoek at the beginning of 2015. He prescribed cortisone as Mum has always been on a variety of painkillers. Cortisone has always worked for her in the past and it has been a great help now. A big and final step back to personal independence after her hip replacement in 2018 has been that Mum has begun showering herself again. She had lost confidence stepping in and out of the shower after her awful fall, but the carer was delayed one day in October and Mum managed it herself. What a break-through, as now she can shower whenever she wants to!
Mum is happy at #NerinaGardens, where the staff are caring, residents are friendly, the environment is attractive, administration is efficient and there’s good home cooking! This year she has made two special friends in residence, and this has made a big difference – although she has always been well-loved and accepted by all. (I’m always told what a sweet person she is by staff and residents alike. Of course, you and I both know that, but it’s a tribute to her at this more challenging stage of life to have it said!)
Mum is still often frustrated by the brain-to-speech blocks she experiences when she’s trying to tell stories or reminisce – the lingering effects of her minor stroke in November 2014. However, Mum is as mentally ‘sharp’ as ever and casual basic communication flows freely. Most people who meet Mum for the first time say they would never know she’s had a stroke. The thing is, she’s become a lot quieter – more of a listener and less inclined to chatter; they don’t know what a great communicator she always was! We always encourage her to chatter more, and this year we have got her a super-duper hearing aid like a mini-computer. She is managing it beautifully and it’s made a huge difference to her participation in groups.
She enjoys quite a few of the activities offered at #NerinaGardens, but most especially the Sunday Evening #SalvationArmy service, the prayer meeting and the Bible Study. Mum also loves listening to the choir practise. Twice a year, she attends the #LadiesBibleStudies I hold in our home, and this involves doing daily personal study. I think it’s been a real healing process as she does it diligently – with Angie, her friend at Nerina – every day. She looks up the scriptures and they read together, and Angie makes notes as Mum still finds writing difficult.
A huge source of joy and fulfilment and contentment for Mum is the contact she has with so many of you via Whatsapp. She copes magnificently with her voice messages and it totally makes her day when she hears your news and can keep in touch. Her phone is her life-line. THANK YOU to you all for keeping in touch. And to those who have visited her – you have no idea how thrilled and special she has felt. Thank you.
It’s hard to lose special friends – and this year Mum had to say goodbye to her very special friend, Shirley Green. She was able to spend time with Shirley every day in the care section of Nerina Gardens – such happy times, and Mum was so glad she could be there for Shirley and family for those final weeks. Other very special friends went Home ahead of her this past year, and she has felt sad and wistful and happy for them all at the same time. She often sheds a little tear that she will be 90 this year – “I never felt old until I had this stroke” – but she’s also fully aware that long life is a gift from God and she is grateful for her many blessings.
A very, very heartfelt ‘thank you’ to those who continue to support Mum/ Aunty Peggy in prayer and in practical ways. She appreciates you so much. And – to all those who love Aunty Peggy – she remembers you with great affection and sends you much love and her prayers for the Lord’s blessings upon you throughout this New Year.
Thank you so much Viv, for sharing this news about your Mum, Peggy. I would love to keep in contact with her via WhatsApp and send her pictures of Katy and William and their families, as they were both little ones at “Auntie Peggy’s”. Very dear love and blessings to you all, MaryAnn
Hi dear MaryAnn. Mum would LOVE to be in contact. Her Whatsapp number is 00 27 76 300 3348. I know she will be over the moon to see photos of you all and to exchange voice messages. Sending much love to you and Bill, and God bless.
Thank you Viv for posting the news of your dearest Mum on fb for all of us to be able to catch up with news of her, may you be blessed richly for being the loving, caring daughter you have always been and always will be. Love being in touch with your Mum on Whatsapp voice message. Whenever I have news of friends and happenings that I know she would be interested to know of, I share with her on whatsapp. I have something new to share with your Mum on whatsapp voice message about twin girls that attended Aunty Peggy’s creche, Sonja and Rachelle Billet. I found their Mother on fb this morning and had a chat with her on fb messenger, which I will share with your Mum – sending you lots of love, Betty Kirk xx
Thank you, dear Betty. You and Atholl are such dear friends to Mum and she treasures your friendship. Much love to you both.
Thank you so much Viv for all the lovely news! Your Mom is just amazing, loving, kind & gracious as always. It’s so good to know that she is well apart from the arthritis. How we wish we were close enough to visit, but should we get to CT this year, we hope to, I will contact you beforehand. So much love to her from us both, Willem & Thea. (I have taken note of her number).
So lovely that you will be able to chat to Mum now – she will be thrilled to hear from you. Voice messages on WhatsApp are ideal. Her contact with friends – including and sometimes especially those she’s known “forever” like yourselves – is what makes her days feel full of meaning! It will be wonderful to see if you do get to come to Cape Town this year! Sending much love and God bless.
Hi Viv – please send your Mum love and greetings from us too. Love Bev
Thanks so much, Bev. Much love to you two.
Thank you for this update Viv, I will also save her number and send some voice notes… I think and speak of her fondly…..
Mum will be delighted to hear from you, dear Faustina!
So delighted to have found your blog Vivian. Auntie Peggy is so close to my heart and I think of her often and have wanted to contact her for years! She and Uncle Cyril played a pivotal role in my life and I will always be grateful. Would love to talk to her sometime.
Lovely to hear from you, Ceri. Mum would love to hear from you. Her Whatsapp voice messages are her life-line! Contact her on +27 76 300 3348. Very best wishes to you all and God bless!
I miss her everyday. I always look to her extra special birthday cards and remember our private Bible studies. She raised me from a little Sunday School Girl to prayerful young woman, with a heart filled with the Lord.
Thank you Aunty Peggy, God bless you evermore, in every special way, every day.
Hi Dear Jane – Thank you for this lovely message. I’ve passed it on to Mum and I know she will be greatly encouraged! Much love to you and God bless.