GRATITUDE

yesterday

Today, I feel deeply moved to write in this great community. I was just trekking downstairs in our house when a notification popped up on my phone a good friend of mine had tagged me in a post. Out of curiosity, I clicked, and it turned out to be one of this community's weekly prompts. Without hesitation, I turned right back to my room. Even though it has been a very busy week and I’ve barely touched my social media apps, I knew I had to write on this prompt because it touched something deep inside me.

Gratitude what a powerful word. When I look through the blogs I’ve written here so far, from my introduction to my non fiction stories, it’s clear that I have a lot of reasons to be thankful.

As someone who lost his father at the tender age of 7, life didn’t come easy. My mother was left alone with five children three boys and two girls and she had only a small business to rely on. The entire village thought it was the end for us. They feared the worst: that our sisters would stray, and we the boys would take to the streets or crime to survive.

But God had a different plan.

My family was known in our village for integrity and good character values our father had deeply instilled in us. And even after his passing, those seeds of good character bore fruit.

At the time our father died, my two sisters were in secondary school. My elder brother and I were still in primary school, and our youngest sibling was just in nursery. Things looked hopeless. But God showed up through people mostly friends our father had made. Not a single relative came through, but these friends did.

Eventually, my elder brother left to serve someone in business in Lagos. He spent 8 years serving faithfully, but in the end, the man failed to settle him. I’ve shared the full story in one of my earlier blogs titled “Real Man.”

Fast forward to today the transformation is nothing short of divine. We now live in an estate in Lagos. We may still be tenants, but it’s a long way from where we started.

My two sisters are now married to influential men. One is married to a Nollywood movie producer, and when I asked her how they met, she simply said, “In uni.” Our eldest sister is married to an engineer working in a major oil company.

As for me, I’m currently in 400 level studying Veterinary Medicine a few years away from becoming the first medical student from my village. Imagine that a boy who lost his father young, from a family no one expected much from, now on the brink of becoming a doctor in a village full of influential men.

My elder brother and our youngest brother are both doing well in business here in Lagos. And most importantly, our dear mother is in good health. She often calls to say how grateful she is to God for the kind of children He gave her. Each time I hear that, my heart swells with joy.

Academically, it hasn’t been an easy ride especially if you know anything about studying veterinary medicine. The professional exams are no joke, and I’m currently preparing for my final Paraclinical exam before entering the Clinical phase. But even in that journey, I’ve been blessed with friends like @emlynx and @princessglow who have been incredible support systems. I can’t even begin to tell the full story behind those names that’s a story for another day.

I’m also extremely grateful to be part of the Hive community. I was referred to @kingsleyy, who onboarded me here just last month and since then, it’s been an amazing journey of growth, connection, and learning.

I may not have all the riches in the world, but trust me, we are rich in all the ways that truly matter in love, in health, in unity, and in grace.