My plans for 2021

My planne vir 2021 is:

Originally written in Afrikaans. Translated by mom. Please scroll down for English.

1. My lyf kort beter maniere.

Dit is lastig as ek nie my lyf kan beheer nie en ek pla ander mense met nonsense en, nog erger, as ek hulle seer maak. Ek probeer al my hele lewe lank beheer daaroor kry, maar hierdie jaar het ek meer moed as ooit tevore, want my gesin verstaan uiteindelik wat gebeur met my lyf en aanvaar my en bemoedig my en help my so mooi as ek sukkel. My hele gesin ondersteun my so mooi en, behalwe daarvoor, glo ek die Here gaan my beter laat mooi vertel van Sy grootheid deur my te help.

2. Ek wil met my hondjie ‘n band opbou.

My hartsbegeerte was altyd om ‘n troeteldier van my eie te hê en my pappa en sussie het my so bly gemaak toe hulle vir my ‘n hondjie gaan kry het. Hondjie is die mooiste, oulikste en spelerigste en vraatsigste wat ek al ooit gesien het. Ek voel so goed soos die rykste man in die wêreld nie kan hoop om te voel oor al sy skatte nie. Ek wil graag hierdie jaar ‘n band opbou met Hondjie sodat hy my sal leer  verstaan al kan ek nie met hom praat soos mense gewoonlik met honde praat nie.

3. Ek wil my mamma help om nog kinders te vertel van Spelling to Communicate,

want ek gun al my non-speaking vriende die lewe wat ek nou het. Ek wil ten minste nog 10 mense help sodat hulle nog 10 ander kan help, want so gaan ons dit regkry dat ons nog non-speaking vriende ook leer kommunikeer.

4. Ek wil leer skaak speel

sodat ek met my vriendin, Stephanie, kan online skaak speel. Ek is so bly ek het ‘n vriendin wat my motiveer om nuwe goed aan te pak. So, ek wil graag haar uitnodiging om skaak te leer speel aanvaar en dit saam met haar aanpak sodat ons saam-saam ‘n skaakklub kan begin saam met ander non-speakers.

5. Ek wil ook ‘n boekklub begin saam met ander non-speakers.

Ek het gehoor hoe Elizabeth Vosseller my ma vertel hoe ‘n boekklub kan werk en ek is baie gretig om dit te probeer. My mamma behoort al jare lank aan ‘n boekklub. Dit lyk vir my so bitter lekker en ek sal ook graag dit wil ervaar saam met my vriende.

6. My lyf moet leer om nie so te oorreageer nie as ek my ontstel oor iets.

As ek wag, en met my mamma se hulp, eers gesels oor wat my ontstel het, dan gaan ek dit beter kan uitsorteer. My lyf vergeet nog soms dat ek kan kommunikeer en dan maak ek onnodig chaos sonder dat ek die probleem oplos en dan maak ek die situasie erger. As ek net eers onthou dat ek nou kan kommunikeer, dan sorteer ons tjop-tjop ons probleme uit. Ons is baie lief vir mekaar en wil mekaar graag help en mooi maak om die lewe vir ons almal beter te maak, maar as ons nie kan kommunikeer nie, werk dit nie goed nie.

Ek kan nou kommunikeer. Ek moet net oefen dat ek dit nie vergeet nie en dat ek die paadjies in my brein wat my lyf laat oorreageer kan doodvee, want ek het nou ander uitwegte en ek is dankbaar daarvoor.  

Mag 2021 my en my gesin en almal vir wie ons lief is en voor omgee,

se mooiste jaar wees.

Mag God ons bewaar en gesond hou.

Mooi wense vir almal wat my blog lees vir 2021 en dankie dat julle my help om my ervarings en planne te deel met die wêreld sodat ander kinders, soos ek, ook gehelp kan word. Dit is hoekom ek my diepste vrese en vreugdes met julle deel. Help my asseblief om ander non-speakers te bereik en hulle ook te help om my voorbeeld te volg en ‘n nuwe lewe – met kommunikasie – te lewe.

My plans for 2021 are:

1. My body needs better manners.

It’s tricky if I can’t control my body and I’m bothering other people with nonsense and, even worse, when I hurt them. I’ve been trying to gain control of it all my life, but this year I have more courage than ever before, because my family finally understands what happens to my body and accepts me, encourages me and helps me  beautifully when I struggle. My whole family supports me so beautifully and besides that, I believe the Lord is going to help to be able to better tell, about his greatness, by helping me.

2. I want to build a bond with my pup.

My heart’s  desire was always to have a pet of my own and my dad and sister made me so happy when they went to get me a puppy. “Puppy” ( The dog’s name is “Hondjie” which translates directly to “Puppy”)  is the most beautiful, cutest, most playful and greedy  dog I’ve ever seen. I feel as good as the richest man in the world can’t hope to feel about all his treasures. I would like to build up a bond this year with “Puppy” so he will be able to understand me even though I can’t talk to him like people usually talk to dogs.

3. I want to help my mom tell more kids about Spelling to Communicate,

because I whish for all my non-speaking friends the life I have now. I want to help at least another 10 people so they can help another 10 others, because that’s how  we’re going to get more non-speaking friends communicating as well.

4. I want to learn to play chess

so that I can play with my girlfriend, Stephanie, chess online. I’m so glad I have a friend who motivates me to tackle new stuff. So, I’d like to accept her invitation to learn playing chess and to tackle it alongside her  so that we can start  a chess club together for other non-speakers.

5. I also want to start a book club

with other non-speakers. I’ve heard Elizabeth Vosseller tell my mum how a book club can work and I’m very keen to try it. My mommy has belonged to a book club for years. It seems so enjoyable to me and I would also like to experience it with my friends.

6. My body must learn not to overreact when I’m upset about something.

If I wait, and with my mommy’s help, first talk about what upsets me, then I’m going to be able to sort it out better. My body still sometimes forgets that I can communicate and  I unnecessarily cause chaos without me solving the problem and then I make the situation worse. If only I remember being able to communicate now, we’re sorting out chop-chop our problems. We love each other very much and want to help each other to make life better for all of us, but if we can’t communicate, it doesn’t work well.

I can communicate now. I just have to practice not forgetting this and that I can wipe the pathways in my brain that let my body overreact because I have other ways out now and I’m grateful for it.

May 2021 be for me and my family and for everyone we love and care about,

the most beautiful year. 

May God keep us and keep us healthy.

Best wishes for everyone reading my blog for 2021 and thank you for helping me share my experiences and plans with the world so that other children, like me, can also be helped. That’s why I share my deepest fears and joys with you. Please help me reach other non-speakers and also help them follow my example and live a new life – with communication.