When I started writing for the Change Exchange, my life looked very different. My son, Leano, was living with my family, hundreds of kilometres away from me in Kimberley.
I was navigating the juxtaposition of gratitude and grief that comes with long-distance parenting, grateful for the village raising him, yet aching for the everyday moments I was missing. Writing that piece was deeply personal, but also healing.
I didn’t realise I was documenting a moment in a story that would, in time, come full circle.
In 2023, that circle closed beautifully, when Leano finally came to live with his parents in Johannesburg.
Preparing his new room – walls adorned with a world map and solar system posters – was more than an organisational task, it was a symbolic reunion, a space reflecting his expansive, curious mind.
He’s always loved STEM content, but what began as childhood curiosity has evolved into something more profound. He speaks about nature, the solar system, science and technology with a level of understanding that often surprises people. I find myself learning from him.
Sharing snippets of his knowledge online led to Leano Labs SA, a space where he will teach, explore and inspire others. Family, friends and strangers who have seen clips of him on my social media accounts tell me how remarkable his thinking is.
A geologist remarked that Leano speaks about concepts most people only encounter at university level. These moments fill me with both pride and purpose. They remind me why I keep growing, evolving and choosing to invest in him and in myself.
In 2024, Leano’s father and I parted ways after 10 years together. It was not an easy chapter, but a necessary one.
We chose to prioritise peace over permanence, understanding that a healthy environment matters more than holding onto something that no longer serves us both.
I worried about how the change would affect Leano. But children, in their own quiet wisdom, often show us what resilience looks like. He was initially sad, but he understood.
I saw him reflect the same adaptability I had experienced as a child, moving through constant change and finding my footing.
Leano is now in Grade 4 and already speaks about his future with clarity. In the short-term, he wants to grow his content and share his knowledge with the world. In the long-term, he dreams of becoming an astrophysicist.
His goal is to study at one of the two major universities in Johannesburg, while my dream for him stretches across the world, to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and ultimately NASA, inspired by his favourite YouTuber, Mark Roberts of CrunchLabs.
For his 10th birthday last December, I gifted him a telescope. It was an acknowledgement of his passion, a front-row seat to the celestial stage that fascinates him so deeply.
Ironically, he still says he doesn’t want to go “too far” from me. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, from distance and longing to presence and connection.
While I may not yet be where I ultimately want to be in my own life, I’ve come to understand that becoming is a process, shaped by both joy and disruption.
Writing for the Change Exchange has allowed me to connect the dots between who I was, who I am and who I am becoming.
It has taught me that change is not something to fear, but something to honour. Within every ending lies the possibility of a new beginning. Within every disruption, an invitation to grow.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned through motherhood, loss, love and reinvention, it is that change is not the interruption of my life. It is the very thing that shapes it.
And when we learn to embrace change, we don’t just survive it. We grow through it.