The In-Betweens

  Good Morning, Lovely Human. The kettle hums quietly in the background. Maybe you're cradling a cup of something warm, it could be coffee, lemoney-rooibos, or hot chocolate if you're like me. Maybe you’re scrolling between tasks, baby on your hip or deadlines staring you down. Wherever this finds you, this Tuesday morning, I hope you know: it’s okay to choose yourself. That phrase, "choose yourself," gets thrown around a lot. Sometimes it's wrapped in glossy self-care aesthetics (candles, spa days, yoga poses at golden hour). But choosing yourself isn’t always that curated. Sometimes, it's quietly radical. Sometimes, it's saying no when you’re expected to say yes. Sometimes, it’s whispering “I’m tired” instead of pushing through. Choosing Yourself Isn’t Selfish—It’s Sacred Maybe you’re a mom who hasn’t heard your own thoughts uninterrupted in days. Maybe you’re navigating singlehood and wondering if your worth is tied to your relationship status. M...

It’s 3:55 AM. I’m sitting in the dark — the gentle hum of the fridge in the background, a faint flicker of the WiFi light keeping me company, and the weight of a red pen in my hand. I'm marking final assessments, wrapping up the semester, and slowly exhaling after a season of deadlines, diaper changes, class prep, grocery runs, toddler tantrums, presentations, feeds, flurries of emotions and having to say " Hi, my name is Tshenolo Mashaba " OUT LOUD so much more than I had anticipated! My eyes are tired, my back is stiff, but my heart is… full. The semester has officially ended. I’ve passed my own modules — exceptionally , might I add. The kind of “exceptionally” that reminds me I’m not just surviving, I’m rising. I’m growing. I’m doing it — slowly, imperfectly, but powerfully. An Academic weapon as my co-mom/ sister/ lifeline labels it.  And now, as I stare into the quiet stillness of my home, with my babies sleeping peacefully and my mind already shifting gears to ...