I am not sure if you remember telling me to watch your then-favourite YouTube show, The Fixes. It was quite a humbling moment for me. Your exact words were Watch The Fixes; you may learn something new. Ever since that day, I have never stopped watching The Fixes. 

It brings me to today- exactly 7 years later since you uttered those words. What have you learnt? I have seen you change into a young lady, a sports enthusiast, a fighter to be heard, and more recently, a new deep interest in using Shona in your everyday speech. All things I admire. At times I am overwhelmed by what you know- singing along to almost every song on the radio.

This term, you will face different tests of your life. The first one is the obvious: Grade 7 tests (I don’t want to call them examinations- for fear of adding pressure). The second one will be living knowing that this is your last term in what has become familiar territory for the past eight years. Familiar grounds, teachers and fellow learners. Deep friendships developed over more than seven years. I would like to say it’s going to be ok- but that will be an exaggeration. It’s a different kind of lesson- leaving the familiar for the new. You are bound to learn something new (smile).

My best advice is to soak in the experiences of this term. Make the most of each day, be intentional about the connections you would like to keep when you all go to your different schools. Perhaps the biggest learning for you is that life is lived in seasons. The carefree days are soon coming to an end. Slowly, you are entering into an age of independent decision-making, charting your own path of progress. Testing if what you have is real friendship or it’s just the convenience of being at the same school. Back in the day, we used to keep in touch with friends through letter writing. How will you keep in contact with your friends? 

All the best in the 3rd term. Make the most of it. Aim higher. 

Love

Dad