Life | The Art of Staying Humble

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Today I have learnt a very powerful lesson. Not by a family member or someone who I see everyday, but rather from one of my mothers piano student. Their family is unbreakable, and the respect I have for not only the children, but also the parents is immeasurable.

Today I walked out of my room, after a long nap, to look out the windows of my front door to see a man, who I know, sitting with his son. His son is still at that stage where he has got a bit of puppy fat. His two daughters, also still really young sitting on the veranda with their mother. I walk to the back door to get some clothes for myself for my ventures tonight and as I turn around and walk back in the direction of the front door. He waved at me, which he never fails to do each time he is here. His smile is pure, which warms my heart, as that is who I aspire to be one day. A father who is happy with what he has, even if that little bit is close to nothing.

This family does not have much. They drive an old broken down car, from the 1980s it seems, and wear very casual clothing that you can see they wear very often. They seriously do not care at all though. They are all extremely happy with what they have. I think the thing that stands out the most is that their father gives everything he can to his daughters and son. It is seriously beautiful.

Over the past holiday - in South Africa we have a holiday over December - my mother was struggling to clean everything and get everything sorted for the new year, as I was in a different province for the time. She was sitting at home the one day, going through some of the things she had to do, and she heard the bell go off. It was these people, holding mops and buckets. They had come to come help clean, without being asked, without expecting anything in return. My mother knows that they struggle, and she always tries to give them something as a gift. As did I today, and this is why I am writing this post.

I sat down while my mother was at the piano, and asked her, "Do you think their dad is smaller than me?" she looked at me very puzzled. I asked again, "Do you think their dad is smaller than me, arms wise?" again she looked at me puzzled. I said thereafter, "I have a jersey, which was quite expensive, and I wanted to know if he was smaller than me because it does not fit my arms anymore." She looked at me with a grin and said, "They do not accept gifts, I tried when they came to come help clean, they just will not accept any gift." I was left in awe. A family, with very little, who does not accept gifts. Now that is noble, and beyond humble.

This is who the youth should be looking up to. This is who is doing it right. This is what being human, and being a loving family is all about. It does not matter how much money you have, or what you drive. It is all about the love, and the bond between all the members of the family, which lead to a positive and more happy life.