I've never met Irene, but...
When I got engaged just over 30 years ago, my husband, Michael, just started working his first job and saved for 3 months to buy me my favorite engagement ring. Since I am not really a 'ring' person, I preferred something simple and elegant, with no sticky points to worry about when washing my hair and enjoying life. A ring that I could put on and never have to take off.
Now, if you recently got engaged or know anyone who recently got engaged, you will know that all you see in the first months is your gorgeous ring. You drive in the 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock position, like you were taught. No, not for safety, but to admire how your ring makes the most spectacular sparkly patterns in the sun. You waive with your left hand and wish you were left-handed to show it off to everyone. I was so proud, so happy and so in love.
For more than 30 years I loved wearing my beautiful ring and almost never took it off. It is part of me and over the years became my most sentimental possession. I cannot imagine my life without it.
With all the Covid-19 hand sanitizing over the last year, my hands became very dry and irritated, and I started taking off my ring at times. A month ago, we went to Gariep for Aunt Bertha's 80th birthday. We had a marvelous stay at the Dam View Chalets at Gariep, A Forever Resort, situated on the banks of the Gariep Dam in the Gariep Dam Nature Reserve in the Free State, near Colesberg.
To make a long story short, when we got back home, I realized that my ring was missing. We searched everywhere. Over and over. And over again. We phoned and mailed the resort. I explained my irreplaceable love for the ring and that my life is over without it. Forever Gariep was immensely helpful, patient, and sympathetic. They searched for the missing ring, but it was nowhere to be found. Lost. Poof. Gone.
I did not want to put in an insurance claim for the ring, since I still believed that it would pop out somewhere. But as time passed, I realized that perhaps I started to put too much value in a ring over the years. In general, I am not worried about possessions, but my ring was different. I could not imagine myself or my identity without it. And although I still hoped that the ring would magically appear, I realized and accepted over the following weeks that if it was not meant to be, that is also OK. I actually do not need any item, even my precious ring, to be happy and to be loved.
Then, about 2 weeks ago, the phone rang. Dimpho from Forever Gariep was on the line telling Hubby that they decided to search again and the housekeeping lady, Irene, found my ring inside a vacuum bag. The moment the photo arrived with her holding my ring in her hand, I was overwhelmed. I was as full as the Gariep Dam with relief and thankfulness. For answered prayers, for the good in people helping others when they do not expect anything back, for living in my country where there are wonderful businesses with exceptional staff that walk the extra mile to bring joy and happiness to their clients.
I've never met Irene, but to me, Irene is a sign of hope, of faith, of the goodness and best in South Africa. Thank you, Irene, Dimpho, and the team at Forever Gariep Resort. Thank you to every honest and good-hearted team member and business owner in South Africa. I learned that you could survive without your most precious or sentimental possession, but true wealth is the authentic and caring people that surround us.
The people of South Africa - You rock!
