Fides Media Living the Faith
By Amarachi Okpunobi
Dear heart, how are you? Hope you’re strong and holding uptight in there? It really feels good to know that you have survived for 20 years since your existence as a living being in the world. I know it has not been an easy ride for you, but you’re strong, yes! you’re strong.
Mummy said lately that you’re growing old and sincerely, you are. Mummy said she would have lost you to the cold hands of death last 20 years out of ignorance. You were in her uterus breathing and waiting till the day your creator commands your birth to the earth but she rather took drugs with the thoughts that she was having probably typhoid and never knew she was hurting you. When the sickness didn’t stop, friends told her it was poison, some said it was spiritual attack but I trust you so much, you were there but you heard everything, you knew there were all superstitions.
It was not untill after 2 months she lost her period, that she went to the hospital with the persuasion of same friends who said you were a spiritual attack and poison, that the nurse announced to her that you were in there. I know you would be happy, atleast that was a relieve of daily meeting with unknown drugs that kept kicking you out.
She said she began taking diets that were rich in calcium, and folic acid, fruits and vegetables, and protein for a better formation of you and I bet she did that well because you have come to have strong bones and strong immune system. She said she envisioned you a handsome and brilliant boy and here you are, a happy, beautiful and intelligent girl heart.
It was on the 6th month of you in her, she began bleeding but you stayed. She thought she lost you but God made you stay. You know it wasn’t in vain, remember, He commanded you put smiles on mummy’s face, make Him proud and leave a legacy on the sands of time even when He calls you back.
Dear heart, I know you’ve been doing your best and needful to bring to reality those commandments but you have to do more, you have to beat faster and harder to make God proud.
How I wish you could tell the world the number of games you played in mummy for 10 months and refused to be defeated. You made mummy think you were punishing her for unconsciously trying to abort you. Mummy said she knelt and cried to the Lord for forgiveness for being wicked to you. I Know you, you obey God and it was just true to forgive and you came out before the end of the 10th Month. She was happy when she beheld you in her hands, tears dropped from her eyes and she named you “Amarachi, Grace of God”because as she rightly said, it was only His Grace and it has been His Grace that kept you.
I know you wouldn’t forget the first day you tasted food apart from the breast milk. It was on your 14th day on Earth. Mummy said you cried all night as if breast milk weren’t sufficient enough for you, so she had to supplement. She said you ate hungrily like you’ve been starving for decades and after the meal you went for a long sleep. The same thing you still do till date because anytime you want something, you pursue and never sleep till you achieve what you want. That is who you are created to be. An achiever! Who could have believed that you were still a neonate when you took pap mixed with oil and salt? Yet, you waxed stronger and stronger.
Mummy also said you began talking very early in life. How I imagine what you would have been saying then. Of course, you wouldn’t remember the first thing you said on earth and I so much wish nature had it’s own way of taking us to our yesterdays. I would love to see and mimick you while you fight to pronounce a word.
Do you remember the thoughts you had few years ago while in secondary school? You were 15 then and you said to yourself, I will be through with my studies in the tertiary institutions by 22 and get married at 23, then get my masters by 25 and before 30 have my kids. I guess you were playing with God’s plan and fate because, He has a way of proving you aren’t a good planner but him the Master Planner.
Life has shown you different phases but I am so much happy because there was never a time you gave up on yourself. Amidst depression, frustration and sorrow, you still looked forward to a better day. Mummy said, where man can’t take you, Grace will take you. She always reminded you that when the impossible specialist shows up, the impossible becomes possible and truely you have always set your hopes on this.
You have kept the record of people who helped you grow and who is helping you grow. You are a grateful fellow and you say a big thank you. Thanks to Mummy who kept you and cared for you tenderly. She is an amazing woman, you know she is. Daddy has been good too and my brothers and sisters, the best. Your niece and nephew, you know how homely they are.
Dear heart, thanks for being mine. Thanks for the dcisions I have, both the hard one and easy ones, good and bad. I know you aren’t perfect and I love you irrespective of your imperfections. Even when it seems there is no hope, you kept hopes high and kept beating.
You never stopped. Thanks to God for giving me to you. You are wonderful.
Happy birthday, dear heart.
Age Gracefully
#In Thanksgiving for my birthday, Thursday, 28 March 2019#
