The quiet little town of Wakkerstroom in Mpumalanga, is home to a number of attractions, in the way that city dwellers seek quaint little towns: It is situated in the achingly beautiful pastoral landscape that only South Africa can boast, it draws birdwatchers and nature lovers from all over the country, and it is littered with incredibly talented, artisans from bakers, to furniture makers, artists and of course a coffee roastery!
If you have ever been to one of our Creative Coffee Events, you will have met Theressa Glover of Theressa Coffee Roastery (@theressacoffeeroastery). Theressa is all about community, and it is no wonder that she is a fixture in the SA Coffee Community, it is because she lives it every day, in her own one…in Wakkerstroom.
Recently, our very own Benedict, was fortunate enough to spend some time with Theressa in Wakkerstroom and was present at one of Theressa’s events…not coffee, but an art exhibition in the town. “It is such a stunning town” says Ben. “Huge blue skies above rolling green hills and cattle walking everywhere and bird song in your ears all the time”
“She uses toothpicks to create and carve the angels before she paints them! Each and every person in the town contributed to the event - the local ecosystem all chipping in to support one of their own members ”
“The coffee experience is fascinating. Theressa only opens on the weekend for cuppings. She roasts and supplies the town with coffee, but she doesn’t serve coffees. The roastery is so beautiful!”
“The townspeople are amazing” says Benedict. “The town is so beautiful and it was such a wonderful experience. I would love more coffee people to go and experience what I experienced”
Theressa sums up the intention behind the work with this beautifully written piece, a part of the journey through grief and towards joy after the passing of her father.
"I was working through it, walking through the veld, I saw these bones and I thought, they must be angels! I didn't know pottery, so I learned and the theme behind them speaks to rebirth, resilience, and the quiet beauty that can arise from loss, grief and regret.
"It is rooted in my broken heart,
yet shaped by illumination found within my darkness.
The path to salvation does not announce itself.
Sometimes it waits in forgotten places.
The start of mine lay in the veld
that cradles our home,
two and a half years ago,
in the wake of my father’s death,
my catalyst.
Winter had been merciless.
Cattle did not survive, and I feared neither would I.
Their remains were scattered across the land,
bones bleached by cold and time.
I was drawn to them without knowing why.
What others might have turned away from,
I approached with reverence.
Each fragment held a quiet promise,,
not of resurrection,
but of continuation.
A renewed purpose,
to become hope
to carry wisdom
to offer courage
where joy had once been taken.
Symbolism has always whispered to me,
but only now do I hear its necessity.
As my purpose sharpens,
so does the need to see beyond the visible,
to reveal what the world leaves behind.
With a broken heart,
I stood among the bones
and recognized myself.
Stripped.
Exposed.
Yet enduring.
In that vast solitude,
death felt like an ending,
the winter of my heart.
Even reduced to its essence,
there is beauty.
Even in loss, grief and regret,
there is strength, and the promise of joy.
And there, in the cold breath of the veld,
I found myself,,, I can never be the same,,
my light, an awakening of my truths,,
slowly threading its way through the depth,
of my darkest shadows and suffering,,
patient,
smoldering."
Theressa Glover - coffee roaster, daughter, artist.
Thank you to Ben and Theressa for sharing these incredible and intimate moments with us.
