A simple birthday card from a pupil served as the inspiration for a newly published book by a Gqeberha author hoping to uplift a community through self-reflection and growth.
Nelson Mandela University lecturer Bruce Damons recently launched his new book, titled The Spiritual Wash: Reclaiming of Self, focused on healing, renewal and growth.
In 2008, while principal of Sapphire Primary School in Booysenpark, the 57-year-old received a hand-drawn card from a grade 5 pupil, Stephline Williams.
“It was a simple, playful and deeply sincere card, but it stopped me in my tracks. The very birthday card is now the cover of my book. It is not a marketing image; it is a sacred artefact,” Damons said.
“I was deeply honoured to have Stephline present at the launch. She is now serving in the army and is stationed in Potchefstroom.”
He said while the seed was planted in 2008, the book took many years to mature.
“Life unfolded through faith loss, leadership, relationships, struggle, healing and growth. In late 2024 and early 2025, during a time of deep reflection, I finally returned to the manuscript. What emerged is not the book I imagined all those years ago, but a more truthful one, written from lived experience, humility and a desire to invite others into a gentle return to self.”
Damons said he hopes the book encourages people to treat their bodies, stories and lives with greater compassion, regardless of their background and current circumstances.
“I want readers to feel supported, rather than judged. They must be reminded that healing, renewal and growth are possible at any age and from any starting point. Using my life experiences, filled with success and struggles, I want to offer readers something honest and grounded,” he said.
“My journey has included professional and personal achievements, alongside challenges such as divorce and struggles with alcohol.”
He said the book uses the everyday act of washing the body as a metaphor for spiritual, emotional and personal reflection.
“Each part of the body becomes a place of memory, healing and becoming. Through personal narrative, faith, reflection and simple practices, the book invites readers to reconnect with themselves and to live more intentionally, especially in a world facing growing uncertainty, inequality and pressure on people.
“Ultimately my hope is that readers pause and recognise themselves as multidimensional beings, shaped by their past, present and the person they are still becoming,” Damons said.
“Growth is not in a straight line; it involves learning, unlearning and relearning. The book is for old and young.”
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