Letter from the Editor - Dec/Jan '26
Adaptive Reuse
Adaptive Reuse
Dear Reader
Behold! We are at the end of another year… and on the eve of 2026. My student son said to me the other day, as we were ending our cell phone conversation, “…and Mom, I just want to say, I love my parents very much.”
Oh, my boy, what brought this on...?
“Yes, Mom, you know, many youngsters don’t love their father and mother.” Those words penetrated deeply and made me think. Is this a childhood problem? Toxic relationships? Conflict? The reasons will certainly be complex, an intertwining of events, personality clashes and miscommunication.
A child’s parents are, and should be, their first model of love. Must self-love be in place before love for others can be expressed? Can loving yourself build a bridge to others?
And are we perhaps not too critical of ourselves?
Allow yourself to FEEL deeply, without guilt. Say “no” to too much work, cherish your body by getting enough rest, the right nutrition and sufficient exercise.
And also, most importantly, the spiritual aspect: What gives your life meaning? This is where the Great Reason for Christmas stands out above all else for me and my family: The birth of our Savior and Redeemer 2000 years ago.
The One who taught us: Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things… and endures all things.
Be loved – and blessed – until we speak again in 2026.
Liewe Leser
En hier staan ons aan die einde van nog ’n jaar… en aan die vooraand van 2026. My studentseun sê nou die dag vir my, net voor ons die selfoongesprek aflui, “…en Mamma ek wil net sê, ek is baie lief vir my ouers.”
Jinne my kind, hoe nou…?
“Ja, Mamma, weet jy, mense is nie almal lief vir hul pa en ma nie.” Daardie woorde het my diep laat dink. Kom die probleem uit hul kinderjare? Toksiese verhoudings? Konflik? Die redes is sekerlik kompleks en ’n vervlegging van gebeure, persoonlikheidsbotsings en wankommunikasie.
’n Kind se ouers is mos sy eerste model van liefde. Moet selfliefde in plek wees voordat liefde vir ander tot uiting kan kom? Kan liefde vir jouself ’n brug bou na ander?
En is ons dalk nie te krities teenoor onsself nie?
Laat jouself ’n slag toe om genoeg te VOEL – sonder skuldgevoelens. Sê “nee” vir te veel werk, versorg jou liggaam deur voldoende te rus, die regte voeding en genoeg oefening.
En dan, die heel belangrikste, die geestelike aspek: Wat gee aan jou lewe betekenis? Dis hier waar die Groot Rede vir Kersfees vir my en my familie bo alles uitstaan. Die geboorte van ons Redder en Verlosser 2000 jaar gelede. Die Een wat ons geleer het: Die liefde bedek alles, glo alles, hoop alles… en verdra alles.
Wees geliefd – en geseënd – tot ons weer gesels in 2026.
OUR THEME: ADAPTIVE REUSE
With a theme such as Adaptive Reuse which yells Innovation! Think outside of the box!, we get to stretch our mind muscles. Imagine the neural connections zinging and synapsing as they collide with ideas to change the status quo by modifying, altering, converting, transforming, redesigning, restyling, refashioning, remodelling or reshaping. It is the ultimate challenge, not only from an aesthetic point of view, but for sheer economic survival. If you could instigate change today, what would it be?
KEEP IN MIND:
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
"Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (The Bible-NIV)
Gerty
