From South Africa to the United States, follow my journey of family, growth, faith, and finding courage through love and new beginnings.
I was born and raised in South Africa, where I spent my early years being lovingly raised by my beautiful, humble and gentle grandmother. Her love, her quiet strength and values have shaped so much of who I am today.
At around 13, I moved in with my parents, entering a new chapter of my life as I stepped into my teenage years. Like many teenagers, I was trying to figure out where I fit – trying to build meaningful relationships, juggling school and navigating the full rainbow of hormones and emotions that came with growing up (I sometimes imagine that’s how babies feel like when they start walking while their parents are not looking – you need to trust yourself to take the next step.)
Over the years, my heart grew deeply passionate about Early Childhood Development, Special Education, and nurturing the natural instinct of motherhood. I would often be found around the kids whenever we had any family gatherings, which very often was hard for my peers to understand. After high school I then volunteered in a couple of special schools/centers. I earned my education Diploma back home, and spent a wonderful year and a half with my 2-3year olds – an experience that only deepened my love for helping little ones grow and thrive.
Later I moved to the United States through an au pair program with plans of returning home and going back to school to acquire my Special Education Bachelor’s Degree, then carry on getting my masters. I moved in with a beautiful family and was caring for twin girls for a year and half – an experience which further enriched my heart. It was during this season where I met my husband, Milton.
It was during this time that I really had to sit down with myself and decide if this was truly something that I wanted – to accept the sacrifices of being far away from my family, to face realities and uncertainties of immigration, and to choose a new beginning. The realities and uncertainties are still a part of our journey now. But today, I feel assured, loved, and most importantly – I am happy.
As I reflect on my journey so far, I realize how deeply the early years of life shape who we become. In my next post, I will be sharing why Early Childhood Development is so close to my heart -the impact it has and the insight I’ve gathered along the way.
Thank you for taking the time to read this one, I hope you feel like you know me just a little bit better. I am so excited for this journey, and I am especially grateful that you’re here to be a part of it.
I’d love to hear from you – what’s one moment from your journey that shaped who you are today?
With gratitude & hugs
Gugu
Rooted-Gracefully.com 
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