Eg Suid-Afrikaans
Herklink
Anelia se oupa is in Mei 2020 in die Wes-Kaap oorlede. In Junie skryf haar ouma via WhatsApp: “Ek kon nie eens my maat groet nie … Ek kon net vir oulaas by die hospitaal se ingang my elmboog teen syne druk. Hy het in sy laaste oomblikke na my geroep en ek kon nie daar wees nie.”
Na aanleiding van hierdie hulproep ontwikkel Anelia en Andri ’n “virtuele gedenkdiens”. Bydraes kom van regoor die wêreld: sy dogter en kleinkinders in Australië, familie oor die hele land, die NG-gemeente in sy geliefde tuisdorp. Op hierdie besonderse wyse vergader almal een Sondag om 10:30 – elk in hul afsonderlike sitkamers – om afskeid te neem. ’n Skrale plaasvervanger, maar in hierdie tragiese omstandighede kon dit tog troos bied – sodanig dat dit ons roeping geword het om hierdie troos aan ander te skenk.
.
Anelia’s grandfather passed away in May 2020 in the Western Cape. In June her grandmother sent her a WhatsApp: “I couldn’t even say goodbye to my partner … I just pressed my elbow to his for the last time at the hospital’s entrance. He called for me during his final moments and I could not be there.”
Following this cry for help, Anelia and Andri created a virtual memorial service. Contributions came from all over the world: his daughters and granddaughters in Australia, family from all over the country, the Dutch Reformed congregation in his home town. They were able to say goodbye to him in a very special way one Sunday at 10:30 – every person in their own living room. It was a modest substitute, but still managed to bring some degree of consolation – and it became our calling to offer this consolation to others.
Kontak Herklink