10/10/2025
Kindness at Dawn, A Gentle Shield Against the Noise
Each morning, just as the first blush of light spills over the Breede Valley, I lace up my shoes and head out with the dogs. Swellendam is still sleepy, the air cool and clean and the world feels momentarily untouched. It’s in these quiet walks that I find my reset, my shield against the weight of working for myself and the invisible load of carrying others’ worries alongside my own.
There’s a pair of Hamerkops nesting near the riverbank this time of year. They’re odd little birds, stocky, brown with a head shaped like a hammer and a call that sounds like laughter tumbling over stones. Each morning, I watch them ferry twigs and treasures to their enormous nest, a feat of engineering tucked high in a tree. They work together, fuss and flap and sometimes perform what looks like a comical dance, crest raised, wings outstretched, hopping about in a flurry of joy or mischief. It’s strangely comforting. Their ritual reminds me that even in chaos there’s connection. Even in noise there’s purpose.
Living here is a privilege I never take for granted. The birdsong, the mist lifting off the fields, the rhythm of paws on gravel, it’s a kind of medicine. A reminder to be kind to myself, to protect my peace and to start each day with softness. The world can be loud and people can be heavy. But nature whispers a different truth, that beauty is quiet and strength can be gentle.
So I walk. I breathe. I listen. And I let the Hamerkops remind me that even the strangest creatures can build something magnificent, together with care and a little bit of humour.
Photo not mine, shared with appreciation