From the editor

REGULAR

What a week it has been! A crazy week in a crazy month in a year that will surely never be forgotten by any of us. In life, there are always some years that stick out. Matric is one of them. I have a daughter in matric this year and of course it is unlike anything we imagined it to be. Her beautiful, swishy navy dress we picked out just before lockdown is hanging in her cupboard and the chance of it being worn this year to celebrate matriculating with her friends is looking slimmer and slimmer.

Other years that stand out in life are the year you got married or the year you moved house or started your first job, or bought your first car or signed those bond forms to buy your first home. Of course, these all pale into insignificance compared to the most important milestone of all: the year you gave birth and became a mother. I am completely in awe of you, our readers, who are doing this in this difficult year with such bravery. Even at the best of times, pregnancy is scary and filled with uncertainty. Here at YPB we are in an ongoing conversation with women at this milestone in their lives and I am simply astounded at the toughness and resilience I see. Nobody is complaining. Instead, all I’m seeing is an outpouring of kindness and support for others. It inspires me to also toughen up and try harder and do more and embrace change, even if it comes with discomfort. I saw a T-shirt once with the slogan ‘Don’t panic. The South African girl will sort it out.’ I wish I could have them made as maternity wear and of course change the ‘girl’ to ‘woman’ and then give you each one.

Thank you for the inspiration and enjoy this issue of YPB as a lovely part of your self-care time.

To all the moms who entered their precious little ones in our cover baby competition, thank you! It breaks my heart that we can only have 24 finalists and one winner. The love that was evident in all your mails was beautiful to behold. We’re planning something exciting and new for next year’s competition, so keep an eye on the mag and our social media for more information about that in the upcoming months.

Hugs

“It takes a whole team of dedicated women to put YPB magazine together. The plan was for me to introduce another staff member in this picture, as we did in the previous two issues, but lockdown meant that we couldn’t shoot group pictures for a while. I can’t wait to see everyone face to face again. Soon...”