Anger feel it and let go ......

Puzzle Pieces

♥

Give yourself permission to feel pain, anger, resentment. Relax, then let it go .......

♥

Dress

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Such a true and relevant statement....

My dad's favourite hymn

Puzzle Pieces

A friend emailed me with a hymn which my dad taught to the Greek Orthodox youth group, which we learned from the Greek Charismatic Church...My dad, my sister and I loved it..♥
I have tried to translate as best as I could...English version first and Greek follows after
In celebration to my dad's love for me..
♥

Always from my young years I yearned for happiness
Always asked those around me if I could find happiness
Chorus:
My life is a story filled with sighs
The pain and depression hid the heavens from me

Then I searched in the dark, I wasted my youth and remained poor
Then I dragged my self around and wondered if I will find some light

Chorus:
My life is a story filled with sighs
The pain and depression hid the heavens from me

Suddenly a heavenly star appears and I have hope and happiness in my heart
Words, refreshing sent for me from God touch me delicately

Chorus:
My life is a story filled with sighs
The pain and depression hid the heavens from me

Learn it says, that Love you will find at the steps that lead to Golgotha
Learn at the feet of your Lord to lay your load gently

My Life is filled with the glory of my Saviour
Jesus, my sweet Saviour from you I have my life for heaven

♥
and for those that can read Greek...enjoy...


Πἀντα απ’τα μικρἀ μου χρὀνια ζητοὐσα την συμπὀνια ζητοὐσα την χαρά

Πἀντα τους γὐρω μου ρωτούσα αν τἀχα θα μπορούσα να βρω κι εγὠ χαρἀ

Μια Ιστορία είν’η ζωἠ μου ποὐ ‘ταν γραμμἐνη με στἐναγμους
Ο πὀνος μαζἰ κι η θλἰψη μου εἰχαν κρἰψη και τους ουρανοὐς (2Χ)

Τὀτε που έψαχνα στα σκότη, εξὀδεψα την νιότη και ἐμεινα φτωχὀς
Τὀτε ανἠμπορος σερνὀμουν κι’ὀλο αλπεπιζὀμουν πως θἀβρω λἰγο φως

Μια Ιστορία είν’η ζωἠ μου ποὐ ‘ταν γραμμἐνη με στἐναγμους
Ο πὀνος μαζἰ κι η θλἰψη μου εἰχαν κρἰψη και τους ουρανοὐς (2Χ)

Ξἀφνου ουρἀνιο αστἐρι βγαἰνει και στην καρδιἀ ανεβαἰνει ελπίδα και χαρἀ
Λόγια ολὀδροσα σταλμἐνα απ’ το Θεὀ για μἐνα μ’ἀγγἰζουν τρυφερἀ

Μια Ιστορία είν’η ζωἠ μου ποὐ ‘ταν γραμμἐνη με στἐναγμους
Μα ξἀφνου, λαμπρὀ αστέρι ελπἰδες φἐρει απ’τους ουρανοὐς (2Χ)

Μἀθε μου λἐει πως αγἀπη θα βρεις στο μονοπἀτι που πἀει στο Γολγοθἀ
Μἀθε στα πὀδια του Κυρἰου την πἰκρα του φορτἰου ν’αφἠσεις απαλἀ.
Μια Ιστορἰα ειν ‘η ζωἠ μου πουχἐι την λἀμψη του λυτρωμοὐ
Χριστἐ μου γλυκἐ Σωτἠρα απὀ σἐνα πἠρα ζωἠ ουρανοὐ (2Χ)

1960’s Baby – Christina Haramis Charalambous - My autobiography-Chapter 4 – Greece December 1968

Puzzle Pieces

1960’s Baby – Christina Haramis Charalambous - My autobiography-Chapter 4 – Greece December 1968

In Cairo I have the most wonderful and pleasant memory of staying with my “mummy’s” brother and his family. Uncle Michelle as he was fondly known, aunty Marigoula, cousin Deppy and Costa who now is fondly known as the “pilot”

I do not have any memories of the airport in Cairo, nor our flight to Greece. However I do remember very fondly arriving at my aunt Helen’s home. I remembered her from Egypt when she stayed in Port-Fuad and I used to visit her. Walking into her apartment in Athens was like walking in my home. We were received with so much warmth and love. I remember my cousin Zoe and Lysandro. Zoe stood out for me as I thought she was so beautiful and so much full of life. Lysandro in my memory was like a hippie. He had a guitar and he strummed on it, and I remember the sing along.

I enjoyed the train rides, the Acropolis, feeding the pigeons at the memorial site of the “unknown soldier”.  I loved the “Tsoliades” the guards dressed in their traditional costumes. I was struck by the beautiful city, shops, and the smell of; “kastana’ chestnuts cooking on the side of the streets and eating them out of a triangle shaped pocket made of paper.  I remember the Christmas Street Decorations in the streets and the shops and in every single window. I felt I was on a movie set.

One of the memories I have at the park is the long curly slides.  I just wanted to go on and slide down over, and over, and over again. I remember the disappointment I felt when we left the park.  

I was introduced to so many family members. It was the first time that I did not have to speak Italian to any family members. It was the festive season of Christmas and I enjoyed the Greek Carols and spirit of celebration. I remember going out on New Year’s Eve to family and walking back to my aunt’s house singing at the top of our voices; a very vivid happy time.

I also remember, feeling the anticipation, the butterflies in my stomach of what was coming our way once we left Greece and ventured out into the South of Africa, to South Africa, the land of Gold, the wild life, the beasts of nature. One happy feeling I remember is that I did not have to do Arabic at school.  Little did I know that I would have to learn English and Afrikaans!

We said our goodbyes, boarded South African Airways, tied our belts and flew south. My hands folded in my lap; I prayed and trusted that God would take care of us all.

Dad's books

Puzzle Pieces

One of the memories I have as a young girl, are my father's books.

The memory is so vivid, because I slept under a book shelf which was on the wall. Every night I would pray that the shelf does not fall on my head. And every night I was self assured, in my dad's love that if my dad let me sleep there, then I was pretty safe.

My dad always read stories to my sister and myself. He imparted the love of reading and the importance that through books we gain knowledge. He always had a book in hand. When we left Egypt we had to put most of those books in storage and they would come to South Africa later. My dad said to me when one of his books gets destroyed, it feels as if one of his limbs is cut off.

As a teenager, I started collecting books, which had true stories, positive messages and inspirational stories. These books I kept and I have build on them over the years.

Today, as I logged onto face book, I read a friend's status which informed me, that today is World Book Day... so what a better moment to share something personal, and a beautiful and loving memory.

I feel so blessed that my dad imparted such a huge treasure.

1960’s Baby – Christina Haramis Charalambous – My autobiography -Chapter 3 - Trekking (Moving)

Playing on my dad's piano which was in my room

Playing with blocks on my "mummy's: balcony

Fun at school in Port-Said

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1960’s Baby – Christina Haramis Charalambous  – My autobiography  -Chapter 3

Trekking (Moving)

In my heart Egypt holds great lovable memories. There were of course some that created fear and unsettled me. Yet because of my faith in God, the Spirit of Love, I trusted that it all would be ok.

I very fondly remember the piano that was in my room and which my dad used to play on occasionally.  I also remember his mouth organ which he used to play and my sister and I would sing along. I so enjoyed walking with my dad to school and back. It felt it was a time just for him and I to be together. Sundays were such big preparations, putting on my beautiful church clothes and then lunch at “mummy” my granny.

Then talk started that we needed to leave. Things in Egypt started to change. Gamal Abdel Nasser was now the president, Egypt lost the six-day war and there was a lot of uncertainty.

My dad originally wanted to immigrate to Australia where he had two brothers, and his second choice was Greece, and lastly South Africa.  To immigrate to Australia took a lot of red tape, and because this would have resulted in a lot of delays it was decided it would not be such a good idea.

Although Greece was his second choice, it was not a consideration. My dad studied medicine in Athens in the 40’s became a rebel and was labelled a communist. So South Africa was the final decision. On the positive side of this move, was that my mom’s family was in South Africa and we would have help and support in settling down.

That is when small fears started to creep up. That is when I started to pray very hard. I listened as the adults spoke of South Africa and the apartheid that ruled the land. This was something that my dad was completely against.  To this day I hear my dad’s voice saying, he rather go to prison than treat someone else as unequal to himself. This statement put such fear into my heart. I did not want my dad to go to prison. I would question him, and he would try to explain to me how all human kind is equal. Colour, religion, culture does not make anybody superior to anyone else. This stayed with me forever.

We started packing, we said our goodbyes to the school, and to the communities we were members of and to my Italian family on my mom’s side. The hardest and most heartbreaking goodbye was to my “mummy”.  I just could not let go. I held on to her and sobbed so much, that this memory triggers a pain in my chest.  My “mummy” was my very best friend; A place where I expressed myself and played and learned. Now I will be leaving her. Deep down, I knew I would never see her again. I clearly remember getting into the taxi sobbing. I sobbed so hard, I could not breathe, my chest was sore. My dad told me we would visit her in Greece because that is where she was immigrating with my uncle. I did not believe it, and rightly so.

The taxi took us to our bus station where we boarded the bus to our trip to Cairo, to catch a flight to Greece. One short stop over before we took our flight to South Africa; a new country, a new language, a new life and many, many challenges.

I am a young Greek girl-Είμαι μια Ελληνοπούλα

Puzzle Pieces

During these difficult times that Greece is going through I have been reminded of a poem I knew as a school girl. I am first inserting the Greek version and then the translation.

Είμαι  μια Ελληνοπούλα

                                                           Είμαι μια Ελληνοπούλα

Που σαν μια Ελληνοπούλα,

Αγαπώ με την καρδιά μου

Την Ελλάδα τη γλυκιά μου .

Κι αν ο εχθρός μας έρθει πάλι

Με σκοπό να μας την πάρει

ΟΧΙ , δε θα τον αφήσω

Και θα του φωνάξω : «Πίσω !!».

I am a young Greek girl

 I am a young Greek girl

Who as a young Greek girl,

I love with all my heart

My sweet beloved Greece


And if the enemy comes again

In order to get our land

No, I will not allow him

And will shout: "Back!".