25th begins on the 25th of July

When I began to write this post in the early hours of this morning, after I was woken up with calls. The BBM and Facebook wishes already started pouring in from friends and family here in Naija, UK and Australia. After taking two caprisonnes and Nasco shortcake biscuit.... p yes you read that right..In other news, I have broken up with shortbread and started a new affair with nasco shortcake!!!

I decided to  write a big THANK YOU note to all of you that have been there for me and touched my life. And most importantly, thank you for being part of my life story.

I truly believe in this concept that there are very specific reasons why someone shows up into my life. I’ve always been able to learn or take away something from them, sometimes good, sadly sometimes bad. So the culmination of who I am today at 25, is an amalgamation of everyone that I’ve crossed paths with, some longer, some shorter, some deeper, some more shallow. I’m not lucky, I’m blessed!!

 I’ve been very blessed to have a wonderful Father that is more like my best friend than anything else. I love him dearly and thank him for teaching me courage and kindness…. I’m blessed to have a strict and sweet mum who raised me well, taught me humility, hard work etc .

I’m blessed to have fantastic siblings: super smart elder brother and sister, lil sisters who’re both super talented, artistic and poets to be… they all add so many colours to my life

I’m lucky to have beautiful friends, fantastic people

I’m lucky to have wonderful friends few dated back to primary and high school  I’m so glad to have met new friends that even when we don’t keep in touch, we know we have each other’s back… Friends that you just love without any efforts, people I’ve met and a handful that I’ve grown close to.

Thanks for putting up with me and my idiosyncrasies, wahala etc Thank you to those of you who’ve inspired me to be a better person, you know who you are.

I sometimes wonder what people would say about me when I die. Would I have affected or inspired people in meaningful ways? Will people miss me? Will people feel like I’ve made a difference either in their lives or in the environment, the community, the world? Would I leave a respectable legacy, no matter how small? Even though this sounds morbid, it reminds me that what I want to accomplish, build and leave in this world before I take a bow. I want to affect people in significantly positive ways.

So I’m 25!!! What next?

When are you getting married, when are you doing this and that? When are u visiting the moon,  buying your car, house, this and that?

Yes, 25. I’m actually pretty excited for what’s ahead. I’ve been through a lot, also accomplished a little and met a lot of incredible people along the way. There’s so much left to explore and I never want to stop learning, creating and inspiring.

I sometimes allow myself to be scared and intimidated by my new age, to feel like it’s a heavy weight, because when I was 16, I wrote down this to do list-year by year. Don’t ask what I have accomplished..

I find that some people always make it seem like age defines you and what you have to say or where you stand in the world.

I am truly thankful for life, but I’m tired of letting age dictate to me what should be eg..

 Own a car at 21

Get married at 22

Have all your babies by 25

Own a house and a dog at 35

As I turn 25, I am not going to let society determine my next line of action in life.

I will do what I want to, I would learn from anyone at any point regardless of age which is really just a number!

I would not race with the joneses

I’ll just celebrate life, work on finding that purpose and take it one day at a time

I don’t have a birthday wish list this year

I am just happy and thankful to God, family and friends

My Story- Amazing Grace

God’s amazing grace…how sweet that sounds

That he saved a wretch like me!

I was 10 and in the hospital again…. I usually spent two weeks out, a week in the hospital and one week struggling not to fall ill. This was my life as a child. That night the nurses just did their routine check informing the night nurses about my case etc… My mum was sleeping on the spare bed. I closed my eyes while they talked and wasn't even paying attention till I realized she was telling the nurse how bad my case was; Her Crisis is very horrible oh, her parents are just spending the money…(they were actually spending it because a week at that hospital was like a week in a luxury hotel with feeding costs attached…the bills were high but my Dad never had any problems paying (again God’s grace) ) the other nurse replied ‘and they don’t live past 21 oh (referring to me). Her colleague replied: 21 ke!  If she survives sha her own crisis dey horrible oh’ in pidgin english…

I opened my eyes as they strolled away, crying and struggling to stay quiet so I don’t wake my mum who was knackered and needed that sleep. I wanted to yank the needles off and just die….yes I was that close to suicide… I kept asking God why? I’m fed up; either take my life away or take away this condition…. I’m tired of living like this…. I told my late aunt about that episode…she said I would shine, she said they were wrong: I shall not die but live to glorify God…..

Somehow, I always had that thought in my mind… I approached my 18yr birthday with caution…wondering if I would drop dead

I remember that birthday I spent in the hospital..Struggling to smile as friends came to visit…

I remember today all the several uncountable hurdles I have crossed……

When my dad didn’t have as much money as he used to have back in the day…my illness reduced, I didn't have to go to the hospital all the time.. All things were just working together for my good….

Today I turned 25, the nurses were wrong….

It turns out, I’ve only had one semi crises this year…with each year, I’m stronger…standing tall and proud..

I used to be so ashamed to be identified with anything called sickle cell…it was a stigma…but now I can say to anyone that despite having this conditionvin g  this illnes this illnessof spite havin g  this illness, I'le cell...her for my good..., I’m living my life happy and free.

Until you learnt to see the cup as half full and not empty..You can’t open your eyes to the blessings around you. I am so blessed, so favored and I can only boast in God.

For every crooked path made straight

For every tears that you dried

For every challenge you made me overcome

For ever trial I may have to bear

For every glow and smile you put on my face

For every single blessing I have received

Dear God, I say thank you…again and again

Thank you for saving me….,he said U are a starbout that episode...e away this disease...anguage...ts attached... Crisis is very horrible oh, her parents