Thank you so much to 
Christmas 2020 - me and Dad
I’ve grown up in a wonderful family, with a very supportive dad. In fact my folks were both just over for tea and we had a good catchup.
My dad, Jack Hartland, was born on 17 February 1952 in the Netherlands (he’s not that old) the family moved to South Africa when he was 4, then Australia for 2 years then back to South Africa for the rest of their lives. This meant that he grew up through the hippie era, hitchhiking from Hilbrow in Johannesburg to Cape Town when he was 20 years old. I guess it was an interesting time to be alive in South Africa.
Here he met my mom and they married quite quickly. A couple years later came me and then my sister. We’ve all had our kids relatively young so we had 4 generations for 15 years! Quite an achievement these days.
My dad has worked hard, enjoyed life, travelled, made art and done a lot of reading over the years.
The thing that sticks out as typical of my dad and specifically spoken over me is this, “She can do whatever she puts her mind to.”
I remember my dad saying this at my 18th birthday and it has always stuck with me. It has been one of those inspiring little phrases that has kept me going when I didn’t quite know what to do.
It’s also prompted me to think about what I have in my hand to do and to do it well. It doesn’t always to take rocket science to be successful. I have found that using the resources you have at hand, being diligent and consistent, and having an approachable manner are often the keys to a good outcome.
My dad is a creative thinker, philosopher and theologian, so growing up around the kitchen table was always interesting with thought provoking questions and lively debates. He would, and still will, ask a provocative question simply to stir the pot and cause debate, not necessarily because agrees or disagrees with the outcome.
Taylor and my dad
This is a quality that I love about him and that we now get to observe with my dad and my daughter. They have a close bond and Taylor, at 17, is quite happy to sit and listen to Opa explain his theories and talk about history or politics or theology.
Taylor too, can do whatever she puts her mind to. She has become a strong, resourceful and confident young woman that is going to own her space in the world. She will not be walked over and speaks her mind easily, sometimes to her detriment.
Gathering for my 40th birthday
How blessed we are to have grown up with my dad teaching us and gently guiding us to think well and have an opinion about the world around us. We are certainly richer for it and very blessed that he is around. Hopefully we will get another 20 or more years (at least) to sit around a coffee table and chat.
And don’t forget - You can do whatever you put your mind to.
I think that’s well over 500 words 😂
