Caring beyond crisis: Dirk’s last column and a missing girl’s impact

A terrible message landed in my WhatsApp inbox late yesterday morning.

According to the message, a Grade seven pupil was dropped off at her school at 6.20 in the morning and immediately got into an unmarked car, apparently of her own free will.

What shocked me the most was that it is the school that Little Egg attends.

Our community is stunned.

Everywhere, mothers were talking with their hands over their mouths.

The victim’s mom seems to be a single mother who had to be at work before 6.45am. The school only opens its gates on these icy days at 6.30am.

It just shows our human nature: the closer to home, the less we care.

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Should we care?

Obviously, we should.

We are a nasty bunch of little monsters.

Was this 12/13-year-old girl the victim of social media grooming?

She seemed to get into the car of her own free will.

Or did she surrender to the terrible cold?

I don’t know.

ALSO READ: Ways to spend my final six months

What is well-known, however, is my immense care for single mothers.

Their dedication.

Their tremendous efforts to put food on their offspring’s tables.

A lot of schools have feeding projects. That is so little to get involved with.

We can all do a lot more.

It is my challenge to you, dear reader, to try a bit harder.

I will…

ALSO READ: It’s far too early to lose the fight

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This will be beloved Dirk’s last column for The Citizen.

He is fighting so hard in his life-and-death battle with cancer and, as much as he loves words, the battle is taking it out of him, his lovely Snapdragon told me last night.

“His pain is leaving his little Egg – and feeling guilty about leaving me,” she said.

“I just wish he knew exactly how much loved he is. Not only me and our little one; his family; friends…”

“And the readers,” I told her.

Because you, dear reader, show it in our letters column. You stand behind Dirk and his battle, with words of love and encouragement.

So, let’s all take his last words to heart.

Let’s all try just a little harder.

Like Dirk…

– Carine Hartman, his friend and colleague who is standing behind him, trying just a little harder…