Roots and wings

Wow class of 85 you loook incredible tonight i feel so proud to be amongst you fine fine people. You come from the 9 & tonnite you dressed yo the nines Good evening, my lovelies, my most dearest & treasued friends ! I've titled my speech Roots and Wings: Honouring Our Foundation and Celebrating Our Flight" It’s an absolute pleasure to stand here today among you esteemed folks the faces that have shaped my life for approximately "forty remarkable years"—or as my knees like to remind me, approximately 14,600 days of gravity testing and gravity-defying adventures.

Today, we’re not just celebrating a passage of time we’re celebrating our roots—the foundation that keeps us grounded—and our wings—the flight that takes us to new heights and the new phase what I'd like to call the sassy sixties that await us. Let’s start by taking a nostalgic journey remembering when our childhoods were simple, yet incredibly rich.

Gratitude

No smartphones ipads or WiFi and technology.. just the sheer thrill of hide-and-seek playing outdoors until dusk, with the smell of freshly made mango pickle in the air sound of aunties uncles and children’s chatter and laughter echoing through the neighbourhood....aah those were the simple good old days. Days where we could just rocked up unannounced at neighbours + friends homes. And then got served like royalty a plate of homemade treats samoosas or freshly made rotis with veggies curries. Vegetabes that were grown in backyards Delish Organic, GMO and Pesticide free days when we could just eat those fresh veggies + fruit without having to scrub with vinegar and salt like we do today. Hospitality back then was simply ... open doors and open hearts No invitation required That love that unconditional love gave us a sense of belonging....a foundation. Our community was the village that raised us—neighbours weren’t just people nearby; they were extra parents, impromptu chefs, and keepers of our secrets. Uncle Yusuf’s garden jammed with tomatoes, Top Umma’s legendary lime pickle, Popsickle auntys 5 cents popsicles bubble gum was my favourite How about pink house Auntys quick home made remedies for scraped knees, coughs flu —all these were acts of love tha built bonds stronger than any Wi-Fi connection.

Remembrance

Remember how we walked to school back ...a rare privilege our children are denied today Walking to school with our backpacks bouncing, shoes scuffing the pavement peanut butter & jam lunch time sandwiches or herbs sandwiches on butter bread if we were lucky....we were rich indeed! And as we walked we swapped stories and dreamed aloud...about cars we would one day drive or places we would visit Those walks were more than a morning or afternoon routine; Here we also debated everything (music, crushes, teachers, games, injustice This safe space allowed us to argue, listen, persuade, and agree to disagree. Tje building blocks for our social skills and inner selves developing right there. Today, our children ride in cars or buses, shielded from the world that we had roamed so freely. Sadly our children might never fully experience or understand the gift of walking with friends to school ans all the related life lessons that go with this ritual. Back then our playground was the entire neighbourhood our Main gathering place for main events 917 grounds the 918 library and community hall 927 the road our school was built on Later these popular roads became tarred and renamed with sophistication... the likes of Dolomite Damorosa Skyridge circle and Herman crescents to name a few Unit 9 soon became Moorton! Things changed rapidly from there on Some of us grew up and many of us moved out of Moorton and the greater Chatzworth area. Now, let’s reflect on present day and how life has changed. We text instead of talk, we scroll instead of stroll, We send out invites well in advance to visit our families and friends As doors often stay locked tighter than our childhood secrets. Yet, look around this room. I urge you to look at the faces here today today. So many of us carry the weight of heartache, pain, trauma, and loss. *And yet, here we are.* We chose to dress up. We chose to show up. Standing strong like true warriors, every one of us." I salute you!

Resilience

Despite all the major shifts and changes, our friendship remains. In a world that sometimes feels fractured, we still show up! Now that is the real magic of friendship A Friendship that has stood the test of time An unbreakable bond that has withstood not just time, but distance and an ever changing world. We start each day with warm morning WhatsApp greetings, sharing daily doses of inspiration to uplift each other and childish banter to bring warm smiles and laughter Our WhatsApp 'Asoka buddies" group is more than 10years old! I had no idea when forming the group that it would become such a warm and wonderful space for us to chat to share our stories to inspire to encourage and uplift. On that note thank you to those who take the time to chat on the group amidst your daily busy lives. Thank you for keeping our circle warm lively entertaining informative and simply for keeping us connected. my fearless and beautiful friends Remember always. Every trial we've faced demanded **courage**, Every step forward was guided by **faith**, The forged an unbreakable resilience and inner strength.

One thing I've learnt is that You were never meant to *understand* life; you were meant to *feel* it – to let its currents carry you, its depths transform you, and its simple presence fill you. To seek meaning not in explanation, but in the raw, vibrant act of being alive."** To quote a snippet from the timeless desiderata which so apt for us now M dear friends.. Never doubt who you are and your vital role in this world You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars You have a right to be here And whether or not it is clear to you no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. It's this very faith and trust in ourselves, born from *all* our experiences—challenging and triumphant that will take us into the next chapter of our lives So today Lets honour and celebrate us—the kids who grew up with simple abundance, reckless abandon and love in our hearts. We celebrate our community, the neighbours who fed us, the teachers who believed in us, and the friends who never left. So To the past and pain that has shaped us To the present that connects us, and to our sassy 60's that awaits us Here's to us Facing it together. Thank you