A tumultuous time

Hello again readers!

We are into the second 10 days of this month and shoo it has been a tumultuous one! There have been so many occurrences this week which have tested me on a few fronts. The #CapeStorm has caused devastation for so many, and families are still reeling from their losses. I have already attended 3 funerals during this month, two of them this week alone, and the first one on the very first day of the fast. That first funeral seriously set the tone for the rest of the month🙏🏼

Even though this was a rough week, it has also been an amazing one in terms of what I had come to accept and things I needed to embrace. The funerals this month were especially hard as they each represented elements of my childhood which needed closure. Things which had been worked through, understood and processed and just needed a final closing off (so to speak). I have had to sit with mixed emotions after the second funeral, having to deal with a loss which I didn't think would affect me - which hit hard.

It became evident that there are times when a death will impact me for a reason other than the loss of that person, it signifies a void or an ending. It brings with it realisations of how a single person can impact others without even knowing. Life has a strange way of intertwining lives, and sometimes a few words or a presence (and even an absence) can mean so much to another. We are all on our own journeys and do not necessarily know the struggles of others, and by just saying hi, stopping to offer a lift, or smiling at someone, we may bring a little bit of sunshine. 

This month has been an intense one, where all my self-evaluation and supplication have highlighted that there will always be places of myself that will require work. I will constantly be in a state of growing and learning, evaluating, all towards being a better me. For me. And to be able to lead and guide, as well as to serve. As always, this Ramadaan has been a hugely productive one business wise, and plans which have been laid down earlier this year are coming to fruition now. Algamdulilah.

I am grateful for the trials set upon on my path as it teaches me to grow, forcing me to tap into those places inside me which houses the strength. 

"Hard times don't create heros.

It is during the hard times when the hero within us is revealed." 

- Bob Riley

Today's outfit is an ode to the bit of childhood I had to let go of this week. It signifies the playfulness we have inside and sense of wonder which I hope to never lose.

Outfit details:

Superbalist suede jacket (last year)

H&M t-shirt dress

Gold belt (old)

Country Road leggings

Mango boots (Spree.co.za)

Scarf purchased abroad

French Connection bag (UK)

Embellished sunglasses from The Glam Closet

Ciao for now, 

RuBe xoxo

Read more ...

Reflections on loss

Hi beautiful readers,

These past two weeks have been a real emotional roller coaster, so much that I have often been in a really sombre mood. Dealing with illness of a parent, mortality and the death of a relative puts everyday things in perspective. I have not been in the frame of mind for fashion blogging or anything of the sort, I felt the need to purge these sober thoughts by penning them, so to speak.

Illness of a parent brings scary visions to mind, you see them as mortals and prone to the effects of the passing of time. The reality is that illness can strike at anytime and we are all vulnerable.
This is the time one reflects on things, life goes by so fast and is filled with so many ‘obligations’ that it is important to remember to be present. 
Life is transient, savour it.

After a week of tumultous hospital visits, Dad came home to recuperate, and even though we were relieved, the fear does not fade entirely. Its like the picture you had of your parent has been permanently altered and your world along with it.

Death of a relative, whom you have spent a fair amount of time with is hard, your grief is  unacknowledged as you are not the child, sibling or parent. Your sense of loss is different, it’s an internal sadness for the family, it’s a solemn reminder that we should do all we can for the ill and elderly. At times I think of her and smile at the memories, grateful that I could say a prayer at her bedside hours before she passed.

My belief is that one should enjoy every moment, every experience, every day - I try to live this way. And I have found that when I tend to stray from this code, there’s always a reminder to bring me back onto this path.

My message today:

LIVE every moment
LAUGH every day
LOVE beyond words

Ciao for now, 

RuBe xoxo

Read more ...