The greatest acts of love, in my opinion, come in the smallest gestures, writes Cape {Town} Etc’s Ashleigh Nefdt.
There are so many ways to say ‘I love you’ without actually saying it. Asking if you got home safe if you’ve eaten, covering you with an extra blanket when you fell asleep overworked on the couch. These are all actions that are ‘I love you’ in tangible form.
And few people do it better, or more frequently than my mom.
One of the first and biggest times my mom showed not only her love for me, but truly that she had my back, was in my very early years.
When I was a young buck at just 6 years old, my family and some friends were on holiday. We went to a restaurant, and they were serving butter in the fancy way, where the butter is presented as little balls of buttery goodness.
Now, of course, being just 6 years old, I didn’t know what to do with the butter balls, and so I ate one. Everyone at the table laughed at me, and as you can see in the video, I was pretty much on the verge of tears and embarrassment.
But my mom, being my forever protector, had my back immediately. She went and made a fool of herself by eating one too and told everyone to laugh at her.
She made me feel comfortable and okay for making a mistake, and honestly this story has stayed with me throughout my life as I learnt that love is sometimes putting one’s pride aside and saying, if you walk through the fool’s fire, I’m walking with you, holding your hand.
@artstrogroove♬ original sound – Amir Yass