Yesterday evening I lost my best friend. Lost shouldn’t be the right word, because I know exactly where she is, I just can’t reach her yet, but she has gone. Trying to describe what I feel now is an impossible task, for I feel empty, I feel full, I feel nothing yet everything, I feel grief and I remember joy. Every part of me wants to cry out to her and hug her, to tell her I loved her, that she constantly made me laugh, she helped make me who I am today. Being halfway across the world to all those who loved her is so difficult right now, but I know in my heart that the same God that loved her and loves us all binds us together, that we can all look towards him for comfort and for strength, that he is the one who is above all.
Angharad Mary Clague was the most wonderful girl- she was funny, she was beautiful, she loved with all her heart, she was a great friend and mentor to me; a fellow Glee/Cath Kidson /Topshop /Ben and Jerry’s lover. All the days I spent with her (and there were lots!) were amazing- most of the time a complete laugh, but sometimes tough, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes beautiful and always a giggle. The past tense is not the right way to describe her, because that makes it real, and it so should not be real. My future, and her future, are so inexplicitly changed that I cannot contemplate not having her there to share in the joys and the lows of life- the boys, the day I deliver my first baby, the day I get married and she’s not there to be my maid of honour, the day I decorate my kitchen in Cath Kidston. I miss her, so much.
The team here have been wonderful, and my plans at the moment are to stay here for the time being, and return, but to come to the funeral, for I need to see everybody and all the people she loved. I can’t think past today, but my thoughts and prayers are with everyone and especially with the Clague’s- with Anne, Bill, Nick and Jonathon. All I cling to now is the knowledge of God- heaven better be making the most of my best friend, but knowing her she’ll be raving it up already. No friend was more loved. And no-one more missed. Please pray for us all.
Laura x
Thursday 15 July 2010
Thursday 1 July 2010
June
Hi all,
Again, apologies for the long delay between blogs- time completely flies here, and somehow blogging never makes it onto my to-do lists. I’m sat here writing this from my bed, where I have unfortunately spent the last 6 days (yawn) as I managed to pick up a viral infection that has just completely drained me of energy and left me sleeping most of the time. But hopefully I’ll recover soon as I’m getting very bored!
The last couple of weeks have been manic, but in a very good way. Since the start of June, the schools have been on holiday here in SA and so Oasis have been running holiday clubs 5 days a week, from 9 till 1. These are just a chance for the kids to do something during the holidays, rather than just wander around, and we’ve all been helping out- they do sports, games, crafts etc and we also just spend some time and play with the kids. It’s been really lovely to get to know more children, and although we come home exhausted, we all love the clubs.
In the afternoons we’ve somehow been managing to squeeze in all our normal activities- support for the full time members of Oasis, running errands, football clubs, clinic support, milk bank etc and then in the evenings we usually flop onto beds and watch DVDs! As well as the usual stuff, myself and Beth have also started our own cooking club, which we are VERY excited about. We’re got a group of about 12 nine to eleven year old girls, and we meet with them twice a week and do basic cooking skills and bake together- so far we’ve done bread, vegetable wraps and gingerbread biscuits. It’s such a fun afternoon and me and Beth are loving preparing for and running it and the girls seem to really like it to (they get very excited when they get on the minibus anyway).
Last week (you may have heard), as a GAT we also held mini Christmas on the 25th June, which was a brilliant day. We had people over, enjoyed a massive full roast dinner, had mulled wine, sang carols and then exchanged some presents, and it made us feel slightly better about the fact it is now so freezing over here and you’re all enjoying a lovely light English summer. However, although its deep winter here, I’ve been busy planning our holiday, which we take in 3 weeks time and the plan is to travel to Cape Town, then slowly travel up the coast to Durban over 10 days before returning to Jo’burg. Now it’s (almost) all booked, we’re starting to get excited, but also sad as after we return we only have less than a month to go (*sob*).
Oh, and I almost forgot- the soccer arrived! We had a few adventures involving losing the car and football games, and then Bafana and England went out, but world cup fever is still defiantly here, and all you ever see on the TV is the games. It’s been great for bringing people together, and even if I didn’t love the game, the atmosphere is great.
Hope everyone is well, and summer (very jealous).
Lots of love, Laura.
P.S My new e-mail is laura.webber-gant@hotmail.co.uk, but I’ll still get e-mails sent to my old address. Thanks!
Again, apologies for the long delay between blogs- time completely flies here, and somehow blogging never makes it onto my to-do lists. I’m sat here writing this from my bed, where I have unfortunately spent the last 6 days (yawn) as I managed to pick up a viral infection that has just completely drained me of energy and left me sleeping most of the time. But hopefully I’ll recover soon as I’m getting very bored!
The last couple of weeks have been manic, but in a very good way. Since the start of June, the schools have been on holiday here in SA and so Oasis have been running holiday clubs 5 days a week, from 9 till 1. These are just a chance for the kids to do something during the holidays, rather than just wander around, and we’ve all been helping out- they do sports, games, crafts etc and we also just spend some time and play with the kids. It’s been really lovely to get to know more children, and although we come home exhausted, we all love the clubs.
In the afternoons we’ve somehow been managing to squeeze in all our normal activities- support for the full time members of Oasis, running errands, football clubs, clinic support, milk bank etc and then in the evenings we usually flop onto beds and watch DVDs! As well as the usual stuff, myself and Beth have also started our own cooking club, which we are VERY excited about. We’re got a group of about 12 nine to eleven year old girls, and we meet with them twice a week and do basic cooking skills and bake together- so far we’ve done bread, vegetable wraps and gingerbread biscuits. It’s such a fun afternoon and me and Beth are loving preparing for and running it and the girls seem to really like it to (they get very excited when they get on the minibus anyway).
Last week (you may have heard), as a GAT we also held mini Christmas on the 25th June, which was a brilliant day. We had people over, enjoyed a massive full roast dinner, had mulled wine, sang carols and then exchanged some presents, and it made us feel slightly better about the fact it is now so freezing over here and you’re all enjoying a lovely light English summer. However, although its deep winter here, I’ve been busy planning our holiday, which we take in 3 weeks time and the plan is to travel to Cape Town, then slowly travel up the coast to Durban over 10 days before returning to Jo’burg. Now it’s (almost) all booked, we’re starting to get excited, but also sad as after we return we only have less than a month to go (*sob*).
Oh, and I almost forgot- the soccer arrived! We had a few adventures involving losing the car and football games, and then Bafana and England went out, but world cup fever is still defiantly here, and all you ever see on the TV is the games. It’s been great for bringing people together, and even if I didn’t love the game, the atmosphere is great.
Hope everyone is well, and summer (very jealous).
Lots of love, Laura.
P.S My new e-mail is laura.webber-gant@hotmail.co.uk, but I’ll still get e-mails sent to my old address. Thanks!
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