“Thank you for being part of my 2013” – Guess who?

Today is the last day of 2013, and the end of the #31days31writers project. Whoop! I am more than grateful to everyone who took the time to send in an entry, and for the ones I asked who for one reason or the other, couldn’t. I’m excited that everyone learned something, and blessed that thanks to one platform, I could share the experiences of 31 amazing people. Thank you so much!

2013 has been my most challenging year, I’m not even going to muck about. From losing 4 cousins and an aunty in a road accident, to an uncle, and then my most precious aunty Pat, there have been times when I didn’t know if I wanted to see the next morning. And it’s not like I didn’t lose anyone else, I just stopped counting. Death is cruel, shameless, and without discretion, but it taught me a few things. I learned to make every minute count, to make the effort to keep in touch, to love hard, but also to  know when to walk away.

I learned that acquaintances are plenteous, but friends are few, and to cherish each friendship (and pray to God they return the favour, lol).

I learned firsthand that depression and suicidal tendencies are real, and not just the exclusive preserve of the ‘West’. And I learned that God is bigger. Oh He’s a whole lot bigger!

I learned that I just might have a little issue with replying emails in a timely fashion. And I am determined (and working towards) not having that on my list of things to work on by the end of 2014.

It wasn’t all gloom and doom though (according to Russell Howard) – my dad launched his writing ministry this year with six books, and has since written another three (rockstar), my Boo Boo turned one this year, and at eighteen months is feeding himself (my baby Einstein)! I did quite a bit of travelling this year (for which I am grateful), and there are locked down work trips for the new year already! My mom, big brothers and sister are alive, healthy, prosperous; God is leading us to our place of rest and I couldn’t be more grateful. I love you guys to the moon and back!

My baby channeling the Christmas spirit! He’s the cutest baby on earth!

I am grateful for Nike Coker (Chief Sista), Francesca Uriri (my sister girl), and my bestie Wumi; friends who have literally become blood. People I would give anything for, people I would lay down my life for (hopefully they don’t ask *smile*); people for whom I am number one (sometimes, anytime, more than one time, lol!), in words, thoughts, and deeds. I love you and I am thankful you were a part of my year.

Now that I’ve covered what I’ve learned and the people I am grateful for, what would I do differently if I could? Nothing. I would say I’d keep all those precious ones from dying but that’s not my decision to make (wouldn’t have happened in the first place if it was).

And, because I can (and it is *cough cough* my blog), I have two resolutions for the new year:

1. Work VERY hard to reply emails/messaging in nothing over 24 hours.

2. Succeed! Big time!

Thanks a million for being on my blog today, and therefore being a part of my 2013. Have an extra productive new year!

Peace, love, and God’s great blessings,

The Fairy GodSister.

Miss CC!!

P:S – I thought I would do one separate post thanking all my writers and listing all their articles; that story is here.

REST IN PEACE…..

To start with, I’m grateful my pastor called me this morning because I would have missed church! It didn’t occur to me that time had changed so when my alarm (on my Blackberry) woke me at 6.30am, somehow I picked up the Nokia and it said 5.30, same thing with my clock so your’s truly went back to bed! When the Nokia alarm went off at 6.30 (now 7.30 on the BB), I said to myself, ‘how about I lie in for another 30 minutes, and then ‘jump up’ at 7?’ (I said the exact words to myself). I was in the midst of that ‘lie in’ when my pastor called to say that just in case I didn’t remember, the time had moved forward! And no, I wasn’t late to church!

During the service, the visiting minister talked about actualizing the prophecies of God for our lives; he said that some people are ‘taken away’ before the manifestation of the greatness that God has designed for them. And I believe him. I immediately remembered the bbm (Blackberry message) I got yesterday; a friend just lost his dad, and I know his mom died just before we started studying at the university, I have another friend who lost her dad this same month of March, same scenario as the guy.

Walking home today, I started running these thoughts over in my head, and while I am immensely grateful to God for the privilege of every new day he gives my family and I, my heart goes out to these friends of mine who, adult as they are, are now orphans. One of them said to me, ‘who’s going to walk me down the aisle?’. It broke my heart, and I trust that God, who is the Father to the fatherless, will show Himself strong on their behalf, today, and always.

Looking back at March, was there any week I didn’t hear someone had passed? Even especially young people? On the international scene, Nate Dogg, Elizabeth Taylor, Geraldine A. Ferraro, died; not forgetting the thousands in Japan, Libya and other war torn/revolution seeking countries whose lives have been lost.

Closer home, on the 20th of march, Yoruba actor Ishola Durojaiye a.k.a Alasari died after being involved in a car accident on his way from Abeokuta to Lagos. He was going to Lagos to promote his new movie, ‘omo night club’.

Photo courtesy http://www.naijan.com

On the heels of that came the death of my favorite comedian, Chijioke John, a.ka CD John. Fresh on the comedy scene, John rose to fame (and very quickly) on the strength of his jokes about a certain Ibo chorister. He died in the early hours of the 24th of March on the way home from  functioning as MC at an album launch in Lagos. I hear he died three days to his birthday.

While we were still reeling from that, about 11pm that night I got a bbm broadcast that was asking if had (or knew anyone whose blood group was B and lived in Kaduna, that it was needed urgently). To start with, while I appreciated the fact that it had to be an emergency because I got the message from at least six people, I wondered if part of the information we have about our friends is their blood group. I know my dad’s because we have the same blood group but I can’t even bet that I know what it is for the rest of my family.

Anyways, we woke up on the morning of the 25th to hear that 22 year old Chidinma Mbalaso was dead; she’d been involved in a road accident in Kaduna the night before, and was the person who needed blood. She’s popular for being amongst the final four ‘kokolets’ on the reality series Koko Mansion.

I got this off her Facebook page, rest in peace beautiful….

I don’t know about you, but that’s one death too many; the rising stars in the entertainment industry, snatched in their prime, in a matter of weeks it’ll be a year since we lost Dagrin to a road accident too, he would have been 27 this year.

Barack O’Grin warrido…. Rest in peace boss….

Take a minute and say a prayer, that everyone we lost rests in peace, and for protection from every form of evil for us who are privileged to be in the land of the living.

It goes without saying that we should drive carefully (and I’m in no way insinuating that these precious ones were reckless), I’m just saying we should give God the raw materials to work with by being safe. Don’t drink and drive, don’t use a phone (call, text, or BB) when you’re behind the wheel; we’ve got just one life (not nine) so let’s keep it well.

Let’s not get into which road was bad, and which wasn’t; even though it does raise the eyebrows that three people (and these are the ‘popular’ ones) have lost their lives in less than two weeks! What is going on? Lord have mercy!

Most importantly (and at the risk of sounding preachy), what are you doing with yourself? What am I doing with myself? Are you happy with what/where you are now? If yes, any plans to step up? If no, what are you doing about it? Funny that barely a month ago in my chronicle about my visit to St. Paul Crofton church in Orpington I touched on these same issues…. *sigh*

As I encourage myself with the promises of God in Psalm 91, I enjoin you to have a super productive week, enjoy every single day of it!

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