Trustees Josh, Charlie and Miranda would like to share a recent experience in
Waterberg, Limpopo, South Africa, the place where Joseph Harris spent the last
seven weeks of his life. Joseph’s mother writes about their experience.
“For a mother no other pain rivals the loss of a child, however pain isn’t something we compete for and is relative to the person who feels it. For me, it had always been important to see the place he died because I hadn’t been with him to say my final goodbye. I am not sure what I expected, but with the presence of Joseph’s cousins, it felt helpful to confront the road on which he took his final journey and to spend time processing and reflecting on the reality of what had happened. We sensed the immense love and prayers of those who
were unable to be there, but who knew what we were facing that day. Ironically for me, it wasn’t about closure, rather I felt my deep wound open, all the stuffing carefully extracted, then cleaned and meticulously repacked so as to promote a healthier healing process. And like with all wounds, it stings bitterly when you clean it, but you know it is for the good and will ultimately repair.”
We are most grateful to Juliet and Phil Calcott for ensuring our time at the farm could be as bearable as possible and to a greater extent for making Joseph so welcome in their family home, where he lived in 2017. It was particularly meaningful to hear Phil speak about Joseph’s time with them. “Joseph was recruited to a research project but was happy to get involved in anything, whether it was helping with the daily routines, delivering water and other aid to the local community during the water crisis or spending time with our children, Rachel, Lucy and Peter, often in deep conversation. Joseph quickly became part of our family and was loved by everyone for his willingness to contribute, and his interest in whatever was going on. He was a giver and not a taker, a real joy to be with and someone never to be forgotten.”
We would like to mark the time Joseph spent at the farm and so with the help of Phil, we have commissioned a bench to be made by a local carpenter. We hope to share photos once the bench is finished and positioned at Treetops on the farm.
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