A Tribute To My Mother

Robyn Elaine Meredith

As I begin to write, my heart is filled with sorrow and appreciation for the incredible woman, my mother. She passed away; however, left this world with unconditional love and compassion for others. All of us who were lucky enough to have her love us, and her dedication to every person she met is appreciated more for us now than ever before. It also fills my heart to remember that my mother was born in the city of Durban, South Africa, which also houses the philosophy of ubuntu, where all people are connected through the spirit of humankind. Meaning her life was that of service to all before self. It's time for me to honor her in this space of the internet.

My mother had the pleasure of growing up in Durban. There are many things that make Durban the beautiful place that it is. There’s so much more to it, but there are inequalities that run deeply within its society. This is what drove her to change the world. With the understanding that nursing was the most suitable route to change the world by healing one patient at a time, my mother dedicated her entire life to nursing, and in the end, to the oncology department at Addington Hospital in Durban where she became a nurse matron.

Working in a public hospital in South Africa wasn’t easy. The long and tiring shifts, low pay, and shortage of supplies made things difficult, but for Mom it was worth it. Sacrificing her own comfort was worth serving the poor and underserved who traveled from the surrounding townships for care. Many of the people she served had cancer, and because they couldn’t afford private care, it was a struggle for them, Mom would go the extra mile to hold their hands and offer more than the standard advice during uncomfortable and painful cancer treatment. For Mom, each patient was family, and she provided them with what they needed when she had the means, to the extent of advocating on their behalf for treatment and care.

The oncology ward had a mix of heartbreaking and hopeful situations. Everything changed when Mom entered the room. She had a special way to brighten the room in a hopeful way when she told her colleagues about one of her many young passions in life. She said, “This is my little one, they will change the world someday.” For the rest of her life, Mom was a “Service Champ.” When she retired, she realized that keeping service as her calling was its own reward. She continued to volunteer at the community clinics.

There's so much more to wealth than dollars. Mom showed me what it looks like to live that way. Every cent was saved because "there might be a mouth to feed someday." True enough to the joke, Mom made no money, but her life was rich in love and respect. For the families she helped in the townships, she was a hero. For me, she was everything.

Rest in peace, Mom. Durban’s sunrises, the halls of Addington, and my heart are your perfect resting place.

The video below was created using a Large Language Model (LLM) from a black-and-white photo of my mother, captured around 1960 in Durban, South Africa.