THE SUNRISE CHASERS
Marilyn Murray with Sharon van Niekerk, Angela Williams, Zelda Roman, Judy Henderson, Michael van Niekerk, Jessie van Niekerk and Ashleigh Roman
After a series of blackouts and acute loss of vision, 73yearold Marilyn Murray was confronted with the devastating news that she had a rare brain tumour.
Already large, the tumour was also in a dangerous location, her doctors said.
A naturally positive, lighthearted, glasshalffull person, Marilyn was shaken by the news but chose to stay true to her core values in life: ‘One day at a time. This too shall pass. I will overcome.’
‘I’ve been through a lot in this life,’ she says. ‘This is not the first mountain I’ve climbed, and it won’t be the last. I just have to keep the faith and lean into my incredible support system, and I will get through this.’
Her family, shocked and saddened, banded together to set in motion something they had long discussed but never begun: watching the sunrise together and embracing the possibilities that each new day brings with it.
‘There is something so beautiful and spiritual about seeing the golden skyline as that ball of fire ascends into the sky,’ Marilyn says. ‘It has become a tradition for us that is all about seizing the day and watching as many sunrises together as possible. Time is precious, and I intend to spend it well.’
The group, called the Sunrise Chasers, is made up of Marilyn’s lifelong friends turned family. Their sunrise celebrations usually incorporate a dip in the sea, coffee and cinnamon rolls – all before 8 am.
‘The look on the radiologist’s face when I got the results of my MRI was one of complete and utter defeat,’ Marilyn says. ‘But I haven’t allowed that to put me down.
I have more sunrises to catch, more beaches to walk and more memories to capture.’
‘It has become a tradition for us that is all about seizing the day and watching as many sunrises together as possible.’
• 15 g dried seaweed (wakame)
• 120 g beef chuck or round steak, sliced into smaller pieces • fine sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1½ tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 5 cups water
1. Soak the dried seaweed in cold water for 5–10 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the seaweed a couple of times under running water. Drain and squeeze out the water. (If you’re using non-precut dried seaweed, cut it using scissors into lengths the size of your little finger.) Set aside.
2. Season the sliced beef with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat a medium pot over medium heat for about 20 seconds before placing the sesame oil, seaweed and beef in it. Stir for about 2 minutes. Add the soya sauce, garlic and water. Cover the pot with a lid and boil over medium to medium-high heat for 10–15 minutes, until the meat is cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
4. Serve warm with a bowl of steamed rice and other Korean side dishes, like kimchi.