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Episode 7 - Beryl Mangurenje-Kaye
9 Plays7 days ago
An adventurer with a purpose, born in Zimbabwe and now calling England home since 1998. Leaving behind her career as an air hostess, she followed a new calling in healthcare to make a difference in people's lives. She's a youthful spirit and a loving sister, aunt, and wife who finds joy in spreading peace and fun wherever she goes.
She calls herself “The Blessed One,” believing that everything in her life—from her experiences to the people she's met—is a divine blessing. She lives with a heart full of gratitude, cherishing the love that surrounds her and taking nothing for granted.
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Transcript
Introduction to the podcast and milestone celebration
00:00:01
Bertha Musoni
Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Journey from 1975 to 2025. For those of you math whizzes out there, that's 50 years.
00:00:14
Bertha Musoni
This is a program talking to everybody who was born in 1975 who this year is realizing their 50th year. We have had some amazing guests who've shared about their journeys and the experiences to this great big year of this big age.
Reunion with Beryl and turning 50
00:00:33
Bertha Musoni
And today's guest is no different.
00:00:34
Beryl
you
00:00:36
Bertha Musoni
This is actually a friend who I've known through my formative years. We first met when we were in our first year of high school. For those who went to high school in Zimbabwe or in the UK, that is Form 1.
00:00:52
Bertha Musoni
Or here in the US, it would be your first year in high school, so your freshman year. So this the Sunday, i have the privilege of speaking to Beryl.
00:01:03
Bertha Musoni
Beryl, how are you doing to today?
00:01:05
Beryl
I'm very well, Bertha. Thank you so much for having me. I've been looking forward to this. Just didn't have the courage.
00:01:16
Bertha Musoni
Getting to this point, since this started has been a journey on its own.
00:01:21
Beryl
I'm sure it has been. I'm sure. And you've had really fabulous guests. And I just, I'm in awe of all their lives up till now. Can't wait for you to do the sixtieth year.
00:01:32
Bertha Musoni
Oh, ah trust me, we'll be back.
00:01:37
Beryl
Good.
00:01:37
Bertha Musoni
We'll be back. ah We will be back.
00:01:38
Beryl
Good.
00:01:40
Bertha Musoni
Well, your 50th year has been amazing.
Celebrating 50th birthday in Zimbabwe
00:01:44
Bertha Musoni
So first of all, tell us a little bit, because you start off in January.
00:01:44
Beryl
It has been.
00:01:49
Bertha Musoni
You're like one of the first ones to hit it. So give us a synopsis.
00:01:54
Beryl
So 22nd of January, I turned 50 and I was in Zimbabwe with my family. My mom was there and the plan was to have a birthday at home.
00:02:07
Beryl
Nothing special, but it was so special in the sense that I was with my mom, my sister, my friends and family. So that to me and my husband to be.
00:02:22
Beryl
That to me, yes, at the time, that to me was really, really special. And in January in Zimbabwe, it's lovely and hot.
00:02:22
Bertha Musoni
at that time.
00:02:33
Beryl
We had mangoes, we had mealies, we had guavas, and of course, everything else that comes, all the food that comes with being at home.
00:02:38
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:02:44
Bertha Musoni
Oh, you're making my what my my mouth water. You're taking me back.
00:02:46
Beryl
Oh, it it was it was special. It was lovely.
00:02:52
Bertha Musoni
Those mangoes, getting them from the tree was just, oh, I didn't get a pomegranate.
00:02:54
Beryl
Exactly. And pomegranates, by the way. Yes. right
00:03:00
Bertha Musoni
I totally forgot about that.
00:03:01
Beryl
Oh, God, they were in season. My dad's house had plenty of those.
00:03:06
Bertha Musoni
Oh, missed out.
00:03:07
Beryl
Yeah, you did. They were really good.
00:03:10
Bertha Musoni
So that was one aspect of your 50th excitement.
00:03:14
Beryl
Yes.
A journey to marriage after 20 years
00:03:15
Beryl
And a few days later, i got married. My husband and I became Mr. and Mrs. K.
00:03:24
Bertha Musoni
ah After how many years of of slow walking to this journey?
00:03:25
Beryl
Yeah. Wow.
00:03:31
Beryl
It was a proper, proper slow walk. I'm telling you, the turtles, the snails all over took us. So we met 20 years ago this year. this year
00:03:42
Bertha Musoni
Wow.
00:03:43
Beryl
So yes, it's been it's it's been a walk, but I think we it has been a fun walk. We've had ups and downs, but we're stuck together.
00:03:53
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:03:57
Bertha Musoni
Well, as as what happens in any relationship is what happens.
00:04:00
Beryl
Yeah, in any relationship in life, things got hard, but we we pulled each other along. Things got better. we We ran and then we got stopped along the way.
00:04:11
Bertha Musoni
ah hu
00:04:14
Beryl
few hurdles, a few stops, or maybe I should call them lay-bys, but we're still plodding on.
00:04:19
Bertha Musoni
Oh, I like that.
00:04:23
Bertha Musoni
Well, that is that is beautiful. Congratulations to both of you. I was lucky enough to be there to witness that. Granted, 15, 18 years ago, i had said I was going to be a bridesmaid.
00:04:32
Beryl
Well, you know what? I will... Mm-hmm.
00:04:39
Beryl
yeah
00:04:40
Bertha Musoni
Now you decided to wait 20 years, Beryl. I could no longer be a bridesmaid waiting 20 years.
00:04:44
Beryl
You... You know what? It... I know you you were there and I'm so grateful you were there. And sadly, and don't think it was just us.
00:04:58
Beryl
I think it was God's way of testing us over the years.
00:05:01
Bertha Musoni
Yeah.
00:05:04
Bertha Musoni
yeah
00:05:05
Beryl
And also tested our friendship because hey-ho, you would have been one of my bridesmaids, if not the maid of honor. But you still came along even though you couldn't be.
00:05:15
Beryl
I mean, how great is that?
00:05:17
Bertha Musoni
Oh, it was a beautiful day. It just just being there, you know, because for me, I'm still not married. But seeing you there is like a sign of you know what, if it's going to happen, it will happen.
00:05:30
Beryl
Absolutely.
00:05:31
Bertha Musoni
So beautiful.
00:05:31
Beryl
And you know what I say? but People don't give up. Don't give up. I think in life we we expect you meet a boy, you get engaged, and the next year you get married.
00:05:44
Bertha Musoni
The pressures of society.
00:05:46
Beryl
Exactly.
00:05:46
Bertha Musoni
revo
00:05:47
Beryl
But hey-ho, God's timing is the perfect timing.
00:05:52
Bertha Musoni
Yes, yes.
00:05:53
Beryl
Yeah. Yeah.
00:05:54
Bertha Musoni
That faith, have that faith. One of the most beautiful things you did, and and I don't know if you even remember this, instead of doing a bouquet toss, you remember what you did?
00:06:09
Bertha Musoni
Tell us why you did that. Because that was just so beautiful and thoughtful. And I still have my flowers, by the way, because I got two.
00:06:17
Beryl
Oh.
00:06:19
Bertha Musoni
I dried mine.
00:06:21
Beryl
Oh.
00:06:23
Beryl
So.
00:06:27
Bertha Musoni
Take your time, love.
00:06:27
Beryl
gee. Okay.
00:06:30
Bertha Musoni
This was this is not meant to make you cry, but that was such a beautiful gesture. and I can just give an overall of what you did, then you can tell us why, right?
00:06:44
Beryl
Okay.
00:06:44
Bertha Musoni
So instead of Beryl tossing her bouquet to to the single ladies, I guess, after the single ladies song played, she teased us.
00:06:56
Bertha Musoni
And then she turned around and she separated her bouquet and shared it with every single lady who was there. And I believe as she was sharing it, she said, I want each of you to go to experience what I am experiencing today. And it was so beautiful, so, so beautiful.
00:07:19
Bertha Musoni
So for me to now get the chance to ask you why, and hear from you why you thought to do it that way. i am i can't wait.
00:07:31
Beryl
So i I have a lot of of single friends. Some have never been married, some have been widowed, and some are just single. So i I wanted you guys and every single person who was there to experience what i was going through. i i couldn't have done this without you guys.
00:08:00
Beryl
And over the 18 years that I wanted to to be a bride, you guys stood by me. And we all wanted it so much. I knew you guys wanted it for me and we all wanted it for each other. So if I can have it, I'm sure that gave you guys hope.
00:08:22
Beryl
And love is such a beautiful thing. Getting married, wearing that dress. I think as a child, most of us, if not all of us, wanted to have that.
00:08:34
Beryl
But not all of us have. And now that I shared it with you, i am hopeful and looking forward to attending each and every one of my single sisters and friends' weddings in the next few years.
00:08:50
Bertha Musoni
Go put it out to the universe. Put it out there.
00:08:52
Beryl
Amen. Amen. Absolutely.
00:08:55
Bertha Musoni
You know, it's such a great
00:08:55
Beryl
oh Thank you for recognizing that nobody has even asked me why I did that. I think that's why I got emotional.
00:09:04
Bertha Musoni
No, I i knew i was going to ask you.
00:09:06
Beryl
Okay.
00:09:07
Bertha Musoni
And i for me, this platform was a chance for me to do that. So I held on to that question to ask the why.
00:09:14
Beryl
I,
00:09:15
Bertha Musoni
But in the moment, there was so much going on, but it resonated with me. When I tell you I still have the flowers today, and came home and I dried them.
00:09:25
Beryl
I, I, i don't know what to say. i really don't. But I can only thank you for coming. Thank you for being my friend and being my bestie.
00:09:40
Beryl
I have a few besties, but you weigh up there with me.
00:09:44
Bertha Musoni
Oh, Beryl. You know, that gesture to me is a testament to who you are.
00:09:45
Beryl
Hmm.
00:09:52
Beryl
Oh.
00:09:52
Bertha Musoni
For me, it wasn't a question of, should I go to Beryl's wedding?
00:09:58
Bertha Musoni
Will I go to Beryl's wedding? No, it was always, i am going to Beryl's wedding. I don't know what I need to do, but I know I'm going to be in Zimbabwe for that.
00:10:09
Bertha Musoni
So as soon as Beryl told me, it was like, this is happening.
00:10:10
Beryl
You know
00:10:13
Beryl
you know what? As soon as I told you, you were like, I'm coming. I'll be there. Do you want me to do anything? Before I even planned anything, when we were still in talks.
00:10:25
Beryl
And you know what?
00:10:25
Bertha Musoni
That is true.
00:10:26
Beryl
You used to remind me, which I thought was really great. I'll be there. I'll be there.
00:10:31
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:10:32
Beryl
I can't wait.
00:10:33
Bertha Musoni
Mm-hmm.
00:10:33
Beryl
And hey-ho, the wait is over now.
00:10:36
Bertha Musoni
Listen, listen. Now we're looking at anniversaries and celebrating other milestones, but your wedding was beautiful. It was well thought out.
00:10:47
Bertha Musoni
It was very inclusive.
00:10:50
Beryl
Thank you.
00:10:51
Bertha Musoni
And you did a beautiful job.
00:10:53
Beryl
Thank you so much.
00:10:54
Bertha Musoni
You and Mr. K looked so beautiful.
00:10:57
Beryl
Oh.
00:10:57
Bertha Musoni
Oh, my God. Those pictures. I love the way you embraced tradition. That was beautiful.
00:11:03
Beryl
we We did our best. Thank you.
00:11:07
Bertha Musoni
No, you did good. You did good. So your 50, as we have already seen, came with, oh, my gosh, turning 50, marriage. marriage how has been now being Mrs. k
00:11:26
Beryl
2025 has been a really wonderful year.
Coping with loss and joint celebrations
00:11:29
Beryl
i think it started how we expected and how I wanted. And it has sadly over for but last few months, especially the last couple of weeks, I lost one of my besties, ah a boy that I knew since I was a teenager.
00:11:49
Beryl
And that kind of put a downer to it. um My husband and I, like I said, we met 20 years ago. Sadly, we haven't really gone out and celebrated how we wanted because my friend...
00:12:06
Beryl
died so soon before our anniversary. And I don't think I have been in a place I wanted to celebrate. We still had dinner. We still went out.
00:12:19
Beryl
But we would have liked to do more. It was just a subdued um celebration.
00:12:27
Bertha Musoni
and
00:12:28
Beryl
And how it's going to end, it's going to end beautifully because my husband turned 60 in September. So it's a year of milestones.
00:12:39
Bertha Musoni
I love that for you guys.
00:12:39
Beryl
And so far, the year has proved to be what we wanted it to be.
00:12:44
Bertha Musoni
I love that for you guys. I love it.
00:12:46
Beryl
Thank you.
00:12:47
Bertha Musoni
I love it. Well, definitely condolences to your friend. I did see a post about that.
00:12:52
Beryl
o
00:12:53
Bertha Musoni
Really, really sad that any time that we lose somebody we've known for so long, you know, and then especially now with us turning such a big age, I think for me that has been the big reflective point.
00:13:00
Beryl
Yeah.
00:13:09
Bertha Musoni
being actually able to be thankful because nothing is guaranteed.
00:13:13
Beryl
Yeah,
00:13:16
Beryl
absolutely not. la
00:13:17
Bertha Musoni
So i would say, I know it's sad, but instead of mourning him, celebrate his life, the life that he did have.
00:13:27
Beryl
Yeah,
00:13:31
Beryl
he had a good life.
00:13:33
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:13:34
Beryl
he He was a happy guy. He made me happy. He made us laugh.
00:13:40
Bertha Musoni
Celebrate that.
00:13:41
Beryl
Yeah.
00:13:42
Bertha Musoni
Celebrate that and incorporate that into your celebration as well.
00:13:46
Beryl
Absolutely.
00:13:47
Bertha Musoni
That way you can still live within those joyous memories, even though there's gap, you can still allow that to be able to carry you through.
00:13:51
Beryl
Mm-hmm.
00:13:57
Beryl
Thank you.
00:13:58
Bertha Musoni
So with that, that is such a sad segue, but you are a nurse.
Nursing career journey
00:14:05
Beryl
I am.
00:14:06
Bertha Musoni
How has that been? How long have you been in nursing and how has that changed you over the years?
00:14:14
Beryl
So I, I've been a nurse 23 years. Yeah. Um, it, it's been a journey.
00:14:28
Beryl
I have enjoyed my work. It has its ups and downs. It has its good moments and its bad moments, but I have i have enjoyed it.
00:14:41
Beryl
And career-wise, I think I've made good progression. over the years, from the junior nurse to what we call advanced clinical practitioner, I think it's been a good journey.
00:14:55
Bertha Musoni
who
00:14:57
Beryl
It's been hard, but it's been good.
00:15:00
Bertha Musoni
Do you find it fulfilling? Yes.
00:15:02
Beryl
I do. I do. Some days you wish you could have done more. Some days you kick yourself and some days you're like, yeah, I did it. Yeah.
00:15:14
Bertha Musoni
I really admire nurses.
00:15:14
Beryl
it Oh, thank you.
00:15:17
Bertha Musoni
Cause I don't know how you guys do it. Nurses, teachers.
00:15:19
Beryl
Oh, yeah, teachers.
00:15:22
Bertha Musoni
i I take, I have the utmost respect because dealing with people is ah whole different thing. ah i always say if I had become a nurse at 19, would probably be an amazing nurse, but would you pivot now in my life?
00:15:38
Beryl
Yeah.
00:15:41
Beryl
Mm-mm.
00:15:42
Bertha Musoni
don't like people.
00:15:45
Beryl
You know, it it's it's not just about people. It's their stories, you know, and what how they got there and how you can make a difference and what difference you're making and doing your best to to make a difference with what resources you have and what time you have and the knowledge.
00:15:51
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:16:10
Bertha Musoni
Right. Right.
00:16:15
Bertha Musoni
And that has to come from within because when you hear of nurses getting burned out, right?
00:16:22
Beryl
Yeah.
00:16:24
Bertha Musoni
I think that's what they struggle with the most.
00:16:26
Beryl
Yeah.
00:16:27
Bertha Musoni
Being able to find that capacity to have that empathy because it almost gets drained.
00:16:33
Beryl
yeah
00:16:34
Bertha Musoni
And that's why I say I can't do it at this big age of 50 of mine.
00:16:38
Beryl
difficult Wow, Bertha, you're not quite 50 yet, but you can do it.
00:16:42
Bertha Musoni
It's not that I'm not empathetic. Thank you.
00:16:47
Beryl
You know, it is hard work. i I used to say to myself, when I first started, I was an emergency nurse. And then i I went and I did a bit of community pediatric nursing after I converted.
00:16:58
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:17:00
Beryl
I started off as an adult nurse and then converted to children's nursing. And I wanted to work in the community to see not all children make it to the emergency department.
00:17:11
Beryl
Some of them we nurse from home. So I wanted to see that aspect of paediatric nursing. I didn't last very long, what, a year and a half, maybe be two.
00:17:11
Bertha Musoni
right
00:17:21
Beryl
But I came back to emergency nursing and then like I moved to nursing. a minor injuries, minor illness unit, and I stayed there. And for a long time, I couldn't imagine myself going back to emergency nursing until I i did my master's in advanced practitioner. And I found myself back in the emergency department and I actually still love it as much as I did back in 2002.
00:17:49
Beryl
two thousand and two
00:17:52
Bertha Musoni
Oh, wow.
00:17:53
Beryl
oh
00:17:54
Bertha Musoni
But isn't that actually what helps with with with nurses staying in longer, being able to be diverse you know to to diversify, right? That way you're not doing the same thing over and over and over again.
00:18:08
Beryl
Yeah, absolutely. But then you have to diversify. You've got to enjoy it.
00:18:14
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:18:14
Beryl
First and foremost, you've got to enjoy what you do because there's not a lot of thank you when when you work.
00:18:14
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:18:17
Bertha Musoni
here
00:18:25
Beryl
um Be the parents, be it the patients, sometimes even your bosses might not be as um as congratulating or as affectionate as you'd like them to be.
00:18:36
Bertha Musoni
right
00:18:37
Beryl
But you still, as long as you feel that you've done a good job, and it's not going to be every day you feel like that, but you you just do the best that you can.
00:18:45
Bertha Musoni
here
00:18:50
Beryl
the best with what you have and your resources. So, hey, it is hard work, but I think you've got to love it first, and I do.
00:19:00
Bertha Musoni
That is lovely.
00:19:01
Beryl
hu
00:19:02
Bertha Musoni
Lovely. See, this is you. This is just you. I can't even remember when we were younger. Did you want to be a nurse?
00:19:11
Beryl
Yeah.
00:19:12
Bertha Musoni
that what you wanted?
00:19:13
Beryl
Remember, initially, I think my every girl wants to be an air hostess, right?
00:19:21
Bertha Musoni
That was your first path.
00:19:23
Beryl
That was my first path.
00:19:23
Bertha Musoni
And it's true.
00:19:24
Beryl
And I did that. And i I did it for, what, three, four years, maybe four or five, actually. And I got to a stage where it kind of became the same.
00:19:37
Beryl
And I just couldn't see myself sleeping in hotel rooms the rest of my life or for much longer.
00:19:37
Bertha Musoni
It
00:19:43
Bertha Musoni
wasn't fulfilling anymore.
00:19:45
Beryl
Yeah, it wasn't. It was a hotel room here, hotel room there. Everywhere you went, you went with your trolley case in case you didn't come back home. You always had your toothbrush, your underwear and your spare uniform.
00:19:54
Bertha Musoni
Okay.
00:19:58
Beryl
And that kind of got boring. ah think it's fun when you're still young. i was still young then, but it quickly got boring. And I knew i didn't want to stay in that kind of role forever.
00:20:12
Beryl
So, yeah, so I left. And also another thing I wanted to do, like I said, I wanted to be an air hostess to start with.
00:20:24
Beryl
And I also wanted to be a nurse. I had an aunt who worked in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.
00:20:31
Bertha Musoni
Oh, wow.
00:20:32
Beryl
I think that was in 1990, 1991.
00:20:35
Bertha Musoni
And I think early 90s, yeah.
00:20:37
Beryl
Yeah, and she she used to send us stuff, you know, and you'd think, oh, when I become a nurse, I'm going to do this for my mom, I'm going to do this for my sister, I'm going to do this and that.
00:20:41
Bertha Musoni
Oh.
00:20:48
Bertha Musoni
Yes. But you fulfilled that.
00:20:50
Beryl
And I have, yeah, and i'm I'm glad I have.
00:20:53
Bertha Musoni
You have fulfilled that. You have fulfilled that. That is beautiful.
00:20:58
Beryl
Oh, thank you.
00:20:58
Bertha Musoni
That is so, so beautiful. I remember us when we were younger. but So we used to live for just for context. We went to school in Bloi, but we were from Harare.
00:21:08
Beryl
Yes. Mm-hmm.
00:21:10
Bertha Musoni
We always used to travel together back and forth. And I think that's when our bonds actually got stronger, when we were away from from everybody else and from our dorm and everything else.
00:21:16
Beryl
Absolutely.
00:21:20
Bertha Musoni
So I don't know why that memory just crept up in me.
00:21:21
Beryl
Yeah.
00:21:24
Beryl
Aw. Because remember, we used to hang out even after we wrote our O-levels. We used to hang out.
00:21:29
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:21:31
Beryl
Yeah.
00:21:32
Bertha Musoni
ah such a journey
00:21:32
Beryl
And I used to come watch you play hockey.
00:21:35
Bertha Musoni
It's been a journey.
00:21:36
Beryl
It has been.
00:21:37
Bertha Musoni
Such a journey.
00:21:38
Beryl
It has been. Mm-hmm.
00:21:40
Bertha Musoni
So in your regards to family, I know you've got your extended babies. In our culture, those are your babies, right?
00:21:49
Beryl
Yes, yes, yeah yeah
00:21:50
Bertha Musoni
Girls. How has that been for you?
00:21:54
Beryl
It's... so my extended babies, my family, have really... e They've grown. They've grown.
00:22:05
Beryl
With them, that I love them absolutely like they're my own. Over the years, Nick and I did try and sadly it never happened and we're happy with that.
00:22:17
Beryl
You try, try, and then in the end, you kind of think, well, you know, things happen. Maybe it's not God's will. And I love my my extended family, the family that my sisters, my brothers made, my friends made.
00:22:33
Beryl
They all treat me like their second mom, which I think I really appreciate.
00:22:36
Bertha Musoni
what you are You are, mom.
00:22:39
Beryl
Yeah, I am.
00:22:40
Bertha Musoni
You are my guru.
00:22:41
Beryl
i yeah I am.
00:22:43
Bertha Musoni
So I don't know if I've shared this story with you.
00:22:43
Beryl
Mm-mm.
00:22:46
Bertha Musoni
i think I have actually. When I was at a barbecue in Ohio and this little girl is running around and somebody is saying, barrel, barrel.
00:22:55
Beryl
Yes. Yes, I remember.
00:22:57
Bertha Musoni
And I'm like, wait, I only know one barrel in my life.
00:22:58
Beryl
Oh, bless.
00:23:01
Bertha Musoni
And then I called her over and I was like, Beryl, come here. And I'm like, what's your mother's name? it And she's like, my mom is Aneesu.
00:23:12
Bertha Musoni
And I'm like, okay, go and call your mother and tell her to come here right now.
00:23:16
Beryl
our place
00:23:17
Bertha Musoni
My little girl had no idea, like who is this woman ordering Beryl?
00:23:21
Beryl
but but
00:23:25
Bertha Musoni
Had no idea, but that's how...
00:23:26
Beryl
oh
00:23:29
Bertha Musoni
Your name just showed up in my life in the middle of nowhere.
00:23:34
Beryl
Well, we didn't make that bond all those years ago to lose it as we got older.
00:23:38
Bertha Musoni
Right?
00:23:40
Beryl
Mm-hmm.
00:23:41
Bertha Musoni
And I think that's one thing about like our friendship group from from from from Carnegie, because I'm not going to say Townsend, it's from Carnegie.
00:23:50
Beryl
Yeah.
00:23:51
Bertha Musoni
We may not speak every year.
00:23:54
Beryl
Mm-mm.
00:23:55
Bertha Musoni
But when we do get together and we do speak, it's almost like we last spoke yesterday.
00:24:02
Beryl
Exactly.
00:24:03
Bertha Musoni
And that's one of the things I love about us.
00:24:06
Beryl
Yeah, absolutely. It's like no time. We don't lose any time. We just pick up where we left.
00:24:12
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:24:13
Beryl
And I think that's a true true testament of friends.
00:24:16
Bertha Musoni
right
00:24:17
Beryl
There's no, oh, but you were you were calling me, you did this. Nothing like that.
00:24:21
Bertha Musoni
No, no, let's just pick up where we left off and see how life is going at that spot.
00:24:22
Beryl
Exactly. Exactly.
00:24:28
Beryl
ah hu
00:24:29
Bertha Musoni
And I don't think a lot of people can say that about their friendships.
00:24:32
Beryl
No. No.
00:24:34
Bertha Musoni
Because we have, you know, most people hold on to things.
00:24:39
Beryl
Yeah.
00:24:40
Bertha Musoni
But I don't even remember anybody ever wronging me. Even if they did, don't remember.
00:24:46
Beryl
it's a It's in the past.
00:24:46
Bertha Musoni
It's in the past.
00:24:48
Beryl
It's in the past.
00:24:49
Beryl
Life is too beautiful to hold grudges.
00:24:49
Bertha Musoni
It's in the past.
00:24:53
Bertha Musoni
Very true.
00:24:54
Beryl
Yeah.
00:24:54
Bertha Musoni
Very, very true.
00:24:56
Beryl
Mm-hmm.
00:24:57
Bertha Musoni
So tell us about you moving from Zimbabwe to
Life transition from Zimbabwe to the UK
00:25:02
Bertha Musoni
the UK. What happened with that? And how has life been since you've moved to the UK?
00:25:08
Bertha Musoni
I mean, other the than you meeting Nick you know, everything going uphill after that.
00:25:11
Beryl
hu
00:25:14
Beryl
Yeah, so when I left Zim, I actually didn't buy my air ticket.
00:25:14
Bertha Musoni
but
00:25:22
Beryl
huh
00:25:23
Bertha Musoni
and Okay.
00:25:23
Beryl
I worked for the airline, so I went and I applied for a rebate ticket and I came. Yeah, and stayed. I had saved a bit of money being an air hostess. I had a lot of money. I was still staying with my mom.
00:25:39
Beryl
So I had a lot of money. And yeah, got on the flight and and I came to England. Stayed with friends for for a a couple of weeks. And then I went to stay with my aunt for a couple of months and I came back to London.
00:25:55
Beryl
And the rest is history.
00:25:57
Bertha Musoni
I love that.
00:25:58
Beryl
oh
00:25:59
Beryl
And yes, I had those odd jobs where we worked in restaurants, in fast food, because you had to, you know, and yeah.
00:25:59
Bertha Musoni
I love
00:26:09
Bertha Musoni
here
00:26:12
Beryl
And then I, i sorry?
00:26:12
Bertha Musoni
that.
00:26:15
Bertha Musoni
That's part of the growth process.
00:26:17
Beryl
Exactly. And I went into nursing.
00:26:22
Bertha Musoni
That is awesome.
00:26:22
Beryl
Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:22
Bertha Musoni
I'm so glad you found your passion and It's one of those things where I think it fits who you are, like to the core.
00:26:32
Beryl
Oh.
00:26:33
Bertha Musoni
And so things have aligned for you and and that makes me so happy for you. You sound so happy.
00:26:37
Beryl
Oh. I am happy in my job, in my life, in my friendships. I am happy. i can't complain. Life has been good.
00:26:48
Beryl
God has been beautiful. God has been wonderful and faithful.
00:26:50
Bertha Musoni
Yes.
00:26:52
Beryl
Absolutely.
00:26:52
Bertha Musoni
Yes. Yes, and all we have to do is to keep the faith.
00:26:57
Beryl
Absolutely.
00:26:58
Bertha Musoni
The faith. So if you had to give 21 year old Beryl some advice, what advice would you give her?
00:27:07
Beryl
well
00:27:10
Beryl
ha ha ha Okay, so I think follow your dreams. No matter how far they seem, follow them.
00:27:21
Beryl
um big Be true to yourself and be true with whatever you do. Love is very important.
00:27:32
Beryl
Faith is very important. Having God in your life is very important. And thanking Him every day for what you are, what you've become, and what you will become.
00:27:44
Bertha Musoni
Yes. The theme I've heard mostly has been gratitude.
00:27:45
Beryl
huh
00:27:49
Beryl
Yeah.
00:27:50
Bertha Musoni
Just being grateful, as you said, for all the things that we have been given opportunities because, you know,
00:27:56
Beryl
Absolutely.
00:27:59
Bertha Musoni
Not everybody made it to this age. So why are we special?
00:28:01
Beryl
No. Not everybody made it to this age with what we have.
00:28:07
Bertha Musoni
Right.
00:28:07
Beryl
What we don't have don't matter.
00:28:09
Bertha Musoni
who So be content.
00:28:10
Beryl
It's what exactly, exactly.
00:28:13
Bertha Musoni
Be content. And I think that's why we get along so well.
00:28:16
Beryl
oh No?
00:28:17
Bertha Musoni
Because we don't compete. We appreciate where each of us are.
00:28:23
Beryl
Absolutely.
00:28:24
Bertha Musoni
And we accept each other for who we are where we are, when we are. So I love that.
00:28:29
Beryl
Exactly, exactly.
00:28:31
Bertha Musoni
Hey, we've grown up. Hey.
00:28:32
Beryl
We have. We have. We have.
00:28:36
Bertha Musoni
This is growth.
00:28:36
Beryl
We absolutely have. It is.
00:28:39
Bertha Musoni
Well, I love this.
00:28:40
Beryl
is.
00:28:41
Bertha Musoni
Well, Beryl, thank you for having the courage to finally come and chat with me on this podcast. on this podcast. um I'm definitely hoping to get everybody together before the end is out. So we will definitely be doing this again.
00:28:59
Beryl
I look forward to that and I want to be one of the ones that talks to you about your journey once you've turned 50. I want to wait until you actually do turn 50.
00:29:14
Bertha Musoni
You are the third person to ask me this and the suggestion has been for my 50th I should have all the previous guests come on and we have a conversation with everyone.
00:29:29
Beryl
that's That's brilliant.
00:29:29
Bertha Musoni
We will see what happens.
00:29:32
Beryl
That is absolutely brilliant.
00:29:35
Bertha Musoni
and we will see what happened
00:29:37
Beryl
Yeah, we'll make it happen.
00:29:39
Bertha Musoni
We will.
00:29:40
Beryl
We'll make it.
00:29:40
Bertha Musoni
we
00:29:41
Beryl
ah
00:29:42
Bertha Musoni
Well, thank you so much. I am so grateful to have you on. Can't wait until we talk again in a few weeks, at least on here. um I'll talk to you before that, definitely.
00:29:54
Beryl
I'm sure.
00:29:55
Bertha Musoni
right you have a wonderful rest of the week ahead.
00:29:59
Beryl
Thank you for having me. And it's been lovely talking to you. Sorry, I got a bit emotional, but I just love you.
00:30:07
Beryl
And I love my people.
00:30:07
Bertha Musoni
Oh, I love you.
00:30:09
Bertha Musoni
I love you too. love everything that you represent. You're just you.
00:30:13
Beryl
Oh, Bertha.
00:30:15
Bertha Musoni
So...
00:30:16
Beryl
Thank you. Thank you.