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From wedding ceremonies to long-anticipated vacations and even birthdays – everything came to an abrupt halt.
But despite everything that was happening around her, Kgaladi Masehela from Pretoria decided to do a little something special for herself to celebrate her birthday.
On 5 April Kgaladi threw an intimate 45th birthday party for herself with the help of her 14-year-old son, Bophelo.
Donning an all-white birthday outfit, a miniature buttercream frosted birthday cake and inflatable gold and silver foil balloons she transformed her backyard into the perfect outdoor picnic setting. Kgaladi says she had the best birthday celebration while under lockdown.
“In my world birthdays are special and let’s just say my first birthday under lockdown started with birthday songs, messages and breakfast. Then after that, it was a birthday party along the garden route (aka backyard),” she says.
And one thing that everyone needs for their birthday are balloons which Kgaladi luckily purchased before lockdown.
“I love balloons. I could have a bouquet of balloons any day. I actually got them before the lockdown and air-inflated them at home on the day,” she explained.
It was, however, all the heartwarming messages she received from her loved ones that added the cherry on top of her lockdown birthday celebration.
“The phone calls, messages, prayers and the singing touched my heart so much. One of my neighbours phoned from across the road and sang happy birthday to me. It was one beautiful and memorable day.”
Even though this birthday was different from many of the others she had, Kgaladi says she didn’t let anything stop her from celebrating the beauty of life or appreciating it.
“We tend to think, ‘I’ll be happy when . . .’, and then keep moving the goalposts. I have so much to be grateful for . . . the lockdown has helped me recalibrate my priorities. I was quite emotional on the eve of my birthday as I looked at the journey of my life, the ups and downs. But the reality is that I still have so much to be grateful for, despite everything.”
The birthday girl initially wanted to spend her birthday with the less fortunate this year by handing out food parcels to them but was prohibited by the lockdown regulations.
But she still hopes to make this plan come to life post lockdown. “That’s not off the charts and I won’t necessarily have to wait for my next birthday,” she added.
*Covid-19 is keeping many of us indoors. Our shopping trips have become brief, normal activities have been halted – many have been wondering if they’ll still get their copy of their favourite YOU magazine – and how will we find things to do while indoors?
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