The Windy Season: August In The Vaal

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It's that time of year when seeds scatter, ready for new homes. It's a season of acceptance, because what follows is a new beginning. August feels like a season of relief, proof of Spring.. A blackberry tree spotting new leaves There are blackberry trees on the third house from mine, already spotting new leaves. By month's end, all of it will be green. In the south, August is windy, and dusty too; it turns the sky a soft, thick orange, the kind you watch from behind a window rather than step into. The afternoons warm up, but nobody dares stay outside too long, especially in the Kasi. You'd end up coated in dust like the ground itself. I remember when my stockings would be almost a brown shade after school. A woman's month, it's a cozy month in its own way.  My mother was born in August, and she's always believed her birth month carries good news with it. I've seen it happen enough times to believe it. That is why it's always a pleasure to enjoy th...
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A Grounding Crown: How I Find Peace In Doek

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Growing up in a household headed by my great-grandmother, I learned that she held many traditions in high esteem—one of them being that we must cover our heads during ceremonies.




​We would cover our heads during funerals, September thanksgiving, unveilings, and prayers or while visiting the grave site. This tradition was and is reserved for the women I believe in most cultures.

​Why? I never asked. I never felt the need to; in fact, I enjoyed it. It made me proud to be a part of the matriarchy. 

In 2021, when my sister came back from initiation school, I started reading the Bible. I don't know why, ask the Holy Spirit. And every time I did, I would wear a doek. Eventually, I started wearing it leisurely, using a "bad hair day" as an excuse, though I knew deep down I just loved how it felt.

I'm not saying the tradition was forced on to me but little girls do look up to their grounded adults, Sarah(my great-grammy) helped my mom raise us with love and support. And I won't stop honoring her starting with covering my head during appropriate times.


​How is it that wearing one can feel so grounding?

Yet, if I cut my hair and wear a headscarf, it somehow doesn't feel the same. It's a mystery to me, especially because I really want to retire with a pixie haircut and a doek on my head. You get the picture.


​I cannot wait to find ways to style my headscarves while still rocking a pixie or maybe a bob.

I wonder what it is that you enjoy doing that was taught to you by your elders. Do share fun stories about your upbringing. With that said, thank you for reading.

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