This is all a bit Eat, Pray, Love but I am a big Liz Gilbert fan so here goes…

I met a very inspiring woman called Mildred the other day. She was hitchhiking to work from Betty’s Bay to Kleinmond (9 miles). She does this every day.

Mildred works at the clinic in Kleinmond as a security guard. She worked as a security elsewhere for many years but was ‘retrenched’ and her job given to someone else as a result of the change in employment law in South Africa. She spent a year unemployed looking after her twins (Gareth and Gabby aged 11). She found her new job, which she’s been at for around 6 months, by chance and after a very rushed interview where she hitchhiked into Cape Town, had the interview, was offered the job, went to get her new uniform and hitchhiked back the same day. She didn’t even get to eat that day.

Mildred and the twins moved from Cape Town to Betty’s Bay to live with her parents and care for her father who was unwell. Her father sadly passed away about 3 years ago. I can tell she misses him dearly. I don’t know what I’d do without my dad.

Mildred also has an older son, Grant, who worked as a hairdresser and make-up artist in Zanzibar and now Pretoria near Johannesburg. I can tell she misses him too. Mildred was engaged to the twins’ father when she fell pregnant with them and somehow Grant knew and they told him together. Despite being a father figure to Grant, he refused to accept responsibility for his unborn children and suggested she abort them. This was not an option for Mildred and she told her fiance to leave.

Mildred has been a single parent for many years now. Mildred takes life in her stride – even when things are really hard, she refuses to give up. She told me about a time when the school bus didn’t turn up to take the twins to school. It was a very hot day and the bus had broken down. She hitchhiked with them. And back. Then hitchhiked to collect them. And back.

Mildred has asked her employer if she can get her pay check slightly earlier this month. It is Christmas after all. Unfortunately she can’t. I asked her what the twins want for Christmas. They are really into Lego…they sound like cool kids to me. She also told me that all Gabby really wants is to see her big brother this Christmas. I would love to see mine too. The difference for them is that they cannot afford his fare from Pretoria to Cape Town right now.

These things would be a luxury for the Tattersall family. Both the twins need new shoes.

Mildred prays for a happy, healthy 2018 and assures the twins that Christmas will be better next year. I fully believe she will make this so.

Mildred has truly inspired me…there is a force within in her that refuses to give up in the face of adversity. As Nanny Alice would say, she keeps on keeping on. I wish I could be more like Mildred.

In the past if I was at home at this time of year, I would probably meet up with you for a few (or many in my case) drinks and we would spend what is a significant amount of money to Mildred on one cocktail or a glass of Prosecco. You would probably (and very kindly) insist on paying for mine as I haven’t been able to work in so long. And I wondered if, this year, you would buy that ‘drink’ for Mildred? I can assure you she will not waste it on getting wasted.

N.B. I've used my bank details on here as I wasn't able to use Mildred's. I promise to give her every penny raised and will let you know how she spends it. I think it will be mainly on essentials like food and clothing but wouldn't it be nice if the twins did have something to open on Christmas day?

Thank you so so much my lovely people.