Dear valued clients and friends,
Some months arrive gently. August has not been one of them.
There has been plenty to celebrate, a fair amount to think about and, sadly, a few moments that have reminded me just how quickly life can change. It got me thinking about that famous old spaghetti western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Life is thankfully nothing like a 1960s western but I suspect most of us experience our own version of all three, sometimes within the same week.
As we come to the end of Women’s Month, welcome spring and begin looking towards the final stretch of 2026, I’ve found myself reflecting on all three.
The Good
One of the August highlights was sitting down with Helen Zille for my podcast. Whatever your politics, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to someone who has spent decades in public life and still speaks with enormous energy and a very clear sense of what she believes needs to happen next.
Much of our conversation centred on Johannesburg. One thought that stayed with me was how easily we can become accustomed to declining service and standards. Potholes become part of the landscape, infrastructure doesn't work and gradually we learn to work around things we shouldn't necessarily be accepting as normal. Helen made mention that what we tolerate would cause immediate outrage in Cape Town, Joburgers just make plans and keep going.
Helen also spoke about voter apathy and the difference between wanting change and actually participating in it. That resonated with me beyond politics. How often do we want something to improve while quietly waiting for somebody else to do the improving?
As Women’s Month draws to a close, I also found myself thinking about the determination required to keep putting yourself forward. You don't have to agree with someone on everything to respect that. There are women doing the same in countless different ways every day - leading businesses, raising families, supporting communities and simply getting things done.
The Bad
Of course, life doesn't suddenly become easier because spring is around the corner. The economy remains challenging, businesses need attention and that elusive idea of “work-life balance” can sometimes feel much easier in theory than in practice.
I think resilience is often misunderstood. It isn't pretending everything is fine or putting a positive spin on something difficult. Sometimes it's simply accepting that today wasn't particularly good, getting up tomorrow and dealing with whatever comes next.
There isn't anything terribly glamorous about that but perhaps there doesn't need to be. Soren Kiegaard once wrote “Life can only be understood backwards; but must be lived forwards”
And the Ugly
Then there are the parts of life that put everything else into perspective.
Recently, two people within our Homes of Distinction family have experienced significant loss. Christine Brits lost her husband and Sue Tiley her mother. To Christine, Sue and your families, we send our deepest condolences and love.
Loss has a way of reminding us that behind every business, transaction, deadline and busy diary are people. People who celebrate together, certainly but who also need one another when life becomes difficult.
Perhaps that's when the word team means the most.
And then, rather appropriately, spring arrives with blossoms appearing and buds opening.
Johannesburg is beginning to turn green again, the days are getting longer and there is that familiar sense that something new is starting. It doesn't erase what came before it, nor should it.
Maybe that's what August has reminded me. Life contains the good, the bad and, occasionally, the very difficult - often all at once. We don't get to choose all of it but we do have some say in what we do next: whether we participate, whether we keep going and, perhaps most importantly, how we show up for the people around us.
Here's to spring and whatever the next season brings.
Warm regards,
Jonathan Broekman
Principal, Homes of Distinction
