A Funeral In Brakpan - Oom David Engelbrecht

Oom David with brother, Eddie

In October 2017 I accompanied my wife to her uncle's birthday party in Brakpan. Her family was very glad to see my wife Maggie since we hadn't visited with them for a long time. The occasion was her “Oom” David’s 85th birthday. From the photos in my article, you could see the great joy on everyone’s faces.

Today we attended David’s funeral, almost a year later. In spite of the somber setting, the people were friendly and open. Maggie was again treated with lots of love. I commented in my previous article that the people from Brakpan don't wear masks and pretend to be someone else or try to act better when in the company of others. No, they just act like themselves with total freedom. Take it or leave it.

So, it was our pleasure to be in their company again. They are always ready to shower you with truckloads of genuine love and respect that will make you want to keep going back for more. You can spot that kind of love a mile away because it is from their hearts.

My camera was at hand again so I took a few photos of Maggie and her family. In this case, it was family from her uncle’s side. Our thoughts and condolences go out to them for their loss of a loved one. You never know how long you will have your family members with you so it’s a good idea to love them while you can. This is something we don’t always do. Once they are gone it’s forever. They leave an empty space in our hearts that only they could fill.




Maggie (left) with David's daughter Auleen (center)



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