A Tale of Two Fairies

Every family possesses its own unique magic, those ingredients when mixed together, result in thrilling and often logic defying outcomes. Ours? Oh honey, ours is etched in love, faith, prayer, and duty, with a whole lot of laughter woven into the very fabric of our women. We're a wild tapestry of wanderers, healers, teachers, quiet rebels, and soft-hearted warriors. We traverse continents like the relentless tide and the whispering wind, forever pioneers, forever circling back to each other in the ways that truly matter. Think of us as a global sisterhood, powered by good vibes and the occasional fiery group chat as we navigate our lives.

Four decades ago a girl with the eyes of a dreamer and the big, untamed heart was born into this family. Even then, we knew, some souls, precious ones, are not meant to stay confined. They are carried by an unseen fate, charted for faraway shores, intimately knowing the ache of distance, the pang of longing, and the profound, enduring power of love. Like her Nana and her Mama before her, Aishah followed the path set by the OGs of the family, packed her bags, and set course to discover the world, and herself.

From the vibrant, loud embrace of our family in Cape Town, she roamed to the sun-baked desert sands of the Middle East, and then to the green pastures of Brighton. And with that move, she brought a whole lot of flavour and colour to the UK. Seriously, the Brits were finally taken over, conquered by love and good vibes.

Yet, despite the miles, you are ours, our Aish, our first-born grandchild. You are the shimmering thread that stitches us together, the fairy who flew away, taking a piece of all our hearts with you. You have blossomed into the kind of woman who holds space for others: for your children, for your yogis, for your sisters. You are a whole universe of strength, soft, bright, and vast. And on those days when the weight feels heavy and the silence stretches deep, you appear in our messages, chasing away shadows, sending pictures and videos, voice notes, affirmations, and delightful mischief. You remind us, always: we are a part of a vast expanse held together by love and laughter and, most importantly, good food and faith.

Three generations of women, connected by a rhythm that doesn’t falter, no matter how far the chords stretch. Daily, we connect online, spilling secrets, telling stories, bolstering each other, and sending blessings. Joy is shared immediately, and sorrow is never, ever carried alone. It’s a lifeline. A circle. A sacred thread stitched across miles and heartbreak, through the joys of motherhood and the unfolding of middle age, and the heartbreak of aging and ailing elders. It’s our very own, very loud, very loving support group.

On your 40th, Aishah, we celebrate our family, and we honour you, the one who has carried our hopes, our laughter, and sometimes even our grief. The one who dances in her kitchen with our Greenies and makes expat living feel like a treasured storybook. You have built joy on foreign soil. But our deepest, cheesiest hope is that we will all land softly in a place that holds us all together, often…to revel in love and laughter, to be loud and full of life and joy and delicious food, to have our babies at our feet, on our laps, and to laugh until the earth shakes beneath our feet, remembering what love sounds like when distance and longing are a part of its delicate fabric.

For you are not merely a chapter in our family’s story. You are a chapter we re-read when the world grows dim. You are a verse we underline, a truth we hold close, the name we whisper in prayer. You are the home we carry within us, wherever we wander.

So today, we say with all the gusto of a thousand birthday wishes:

May your 40s bring you peace where once there was restlessness. May they bring you a love that doesn’t demand explanation or justification, only pure acceptance. May your children grow wild and wise under your gentle, guiding gaze. And most profoundly, may you find your way back to us. And discover your fullest self.

And to our Leily, her journey too took her far and wide, following in your footsteps, from Abu Dhabi to Montenegro, from the Caribbean to the icy, crystal blue waters of Alaska... Know this: We hold you just as fiercely in our hearts, across the great distances that divide us. You are our compass. Our healer, Dr Leilah to the world, to us forever the studious, hard working one with the soft, lekker laugh. In your quiet way, you are the anchor that holds us steady. And you gifted us Mashie, and this wild child dances for all of us, under the watchful eye of Wawo.

How wonderful is that!

Our sisterhood, scattered across this beautiful, chaotic earth, may we one day find ourselves gathered under that wide verandah. Caftans on, Boho Chic and carefree. Hair tamed under turbans, laughing like girls without a care in the world. Banging pots and pans, creating a cacophony of sound prepping for family dinners. Dancing to old-school tracks until our feet ache. Telling stories like the years never passed, like the miles never mattered.

Until then, we hold each other close. We are the women who wander. And we are always, always, making our way home.