"The Big Walk gave my family hope after losing my dad"
After the loss of a great man, the Naidoo family decided to come together and walk through the pain.
As we approach the iconic walk of all walks in KZN, The Big Walk, we wanted to share a story that really tugged at the heartstrings.
A friend of mine and an avid East Coast Radio listener, Leeann Naidoo, lost her dear father in March 2014. Captain Basil Naidoo was the most amazing father and loving husband. A pillar to his community and his family.
And his sudden death came as a shock to everyone. With death, comes an inextricable feeling. A feeling that rarely can be described with words.
But one thing is for certain, you never really recuperate when you lose a loved one - and each person deals with grief in their own way.
Read more: Five reasons why you should do the Big Walk
The Naidoo family dealt with it in the most endearing and heartwarming manner.
We asked Leeann, the eldest daughter of Captain Basil, what made them decide to walk the Big Walk in 2014 and here is what she had to say:
2014 was the most tragic and life-changing year for us as a family. My dad's family was always super supportive, especially during this tragic time. One of our family members suggested we do the Big Walk and make T-shirts with my dad's picture in honour of him. At first, we were not sure because it was only two months after his death. But we did it, our family made these big posters and every member of our family along with a host of friends joined in and walked with us, some who joined last minute even wore the same colour T-shirts to be with the group. It was amazing to see all the red T-shirts and the posters with the characteristics of my dad. It showed us how much he was loved and missed. It was a sad but memorable event which I think we definitely needed to keep the togetherness and help us move away from the immense heartbreak we felt. I do remember specifically one of the DJs commenting with a shout-out in honour of my father when he saw our posters and T-shirts, which was nice to hear.
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Hearing Leeann talk about the sentiment behind the Big Walk really reminded us of the symbolic nature of participating for many people.
We walk because we want to keep healthy, but we walk because it is the physical manifestation of the act of walking that helps us with our mental growth.
Walking through our feelings, remembering people we have loved and lost. It is more than just a walk, it is a commemoration of our journeys.
Thank you to Leeann and the Naidoo family for sharing their story with us. Let's use this Father's Day as a reason to walk for our dads, whether they are still with us or not. Let's honour them as the men who have stood by us and kept us sturdy, especially when we've lost our balance.
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