The Ties That Bind Us

This poem is as a result of me visiting one of my family friends after about fifteen years, and the mini disconnection I felt from someone with whom I spent a lot time and made really good memories with when I was younger. And even though the basis of our friendship and closeness is still there and strong at that, I realised we would have to build a new friendship and a new bond. Enjoy!

The ties that bind us, very tight

The solid foundation we have, unshakeable

How does this life treat us?

Today, together; tomorrow, apart

Together, apart

Apart, together

Here we are, back together

We still have the same rhythm

The springing of our feet in the air, still alike

But there are new cards on the table

The same people, different expressions

We have grown in different directions

Though the ties that bind us are tight still

Though the foundation we share is unshakeable

It is not the same

The you I knew

The me you knew

The you, you are

The me, I am

Oh how mother earth flings her children abroad the earth

Far and wide, we dwell

In darkness and in light, we breathe

The distance between our strides,

A story of the places we have been

Where we have left parts of ourselves

and picked up new fragrances

Will we develop new ties?

Only time will tell

We meet, we mix

Friend and foe

Family and stranger

Together, apart

Apart, together

We say goodbye, we say hello

25 Things I Am Grateful For

Hello there! Chapter 25 opened for me very recently! Time goes so fast, don’t you think? A part of me wants to go back to my childhood and experience that young, care-free phase again and another part of me looks forward to the future because I know God has a lot in store for me but I choose to focus on the present so here are 25 things I am grateful for.

My relationship with God. My relationship with God started when I was very little. God has always been in the picture for me and I have always been very aware of his presence with me. I can’t remember never not having God in my corner. I am grateful for my relationship with Him because I honestly don’t think I would be alive or sane without the power that He breathes into me. I remember praying to God when I was about four, telling Him I didn’t want to dream anymore because I always had bad dreams. Guess what?! My periods of sleep were pretty much dreamless until recently when I prayed for it to be reversed. And that’s just one story.

I saw God answer pretty much 100% of my prayers as a child, I have seen Him stand by me and be faithful to me in silent, trying seasons when all I heard from Him was “Stay with me” or “Keep going”. I have seen Him deliver me from the hand of the wicked one, my university experience especially my final year was filled with a lot of spiritual warfare and I saw God’s hand at work right before my face. I am so grateful to have the privilege of having a special one to one relationship with the God of the universe. I honestly don’t think I understand how big of a deal it is and my hope is that my life radiates His light and His glory so much that people are drawn to Him through me.

My relationship with God started as a friendship. God was a friend to me for the longest of times before I started knowing Him as my Saviour. Now, He is revealing Himself to me as my Father. I am extremely grateful to be able to experience new layers of understanding and knowledge of Him every day.

When it comes to my relationship with God, I am most grateful that I can be naked and honest with Him about anything and everything.

I love you, Jesus. Thank you so much.

My Parents. Okay, I have amazing parents. I could go on and on because my parents are wonderful people. What I like the most about them is how my siblings and I can talk to them about anything. They have allowed our home to be a safe haven where we have been able to freely express every single part of ourselves. There is a lot of transparency, communication and joy. I also love that they lead by example and serve us kids. They don’t just demand respect or demand that we get things done. They show us how it is done and lead the way in doing it, so we can follow. I am super grateful for the parents I have and I can’t wait for them to experience restoration and abundance in all areas that pertain to their lives and their marriage.

My Siblings. Hey Shammah and Shadrach! I love you guys so so much and even though both of you make fun of me all the time, I am grateful to have you in my life. I pray we continue to be there for one another and that we all fulfil our destinies in Christ Jesus.

My Extended Family. The awesome people I get to call family. My extended family is very large and scattered all over the world. Even though I live in London, I have cousins I have never met in London, but I guess we all sort of have knowledge of one another. Every now and again, I get introduced to a new cousin and we hit it off like we have known each other for ages. I am grateful for those because there has not been one bad experience meeting new extended family members.

I am also very grateful to extended family members I have been privileged to grow with (both of close and far proximity) and are practically a part of my everyday life. Uncles, aunts and cousins who just make life a whole lot better, who check up on me from time to time, reassure me and are ready to be listening ears when needed.

My Family Friends. These were the people who I missed a lot when we relocated to England. My upbringing was filled with love from my family but the love from my family friends made life a whole lot sweeter. Older family friends, ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ and peers who were always around to have and share new life experiences with. My aunty Tayo who gave me extra tutoring for my Primary 6 exams, Mrs Ogunnowo who told me to pray anytime I couldn’t sleep at night, Aunty Biodun (of blessed memory) who helped me deal with my fear of the dark, Iya Alaso who allowed me to experience selling lace materials with her at Oja Ife for two days (LOL!) and so many other people with so many varying experiences. My life was full because of these people. Thank you all so much all of you, especially those of you who were around when I was growing up in Ile-Ife. Thank you so much. You’re forever in my prayers.

My Friends. Hmmn. I had awesome friends when I was younger, many of whom I am still in contact with, but I have not really had the opportunity to grow together with friends since I practically have been sort of friendless since I clocked 15. Don’t get me wrong, I have met loads of people, but they have mostly been acquaintances. I know that there are amazing friendships in my future and I am excited for those. I am grateful to have had awesome, healthy friendships as a child and in my early teenage years. I am grateful to have spent time alone during my mid-teenage years till now because even though it was tough in the beginning, I have learnt to exist on my own and be at peace with myself. I am grateful for old friends who I get to speak to occasionally, with whom I am still friends because we had a solid foundation together. I am also grateful for future friendships. I can’t wait for those to be established! Actually, I can wait.

Growing Up in A Small Town. I am absolutely grateful that I got to grow up in a small town. Growing up in a small town means life happens at a slower pace, there is a greater awareness of self and mindfulness of the people around you. You don’t grow up quicker than necessary and you are shielded from a lot of pressures and the awareness of them existing. This is subjective by the way, but this was majorly my own experience and I would love for my children to grow up in a small town on the outskirts of a big city. 

Life. I love life. I like that I have been given the privilege to experience life on planet earth as a human being. I intend to maximise every opportunity that comes my way and allow myself feel and own every single one of my experiences – the highs and the lows, the good and the bad. The aim is to maintain the Spirit of joy and an attitude of positivity through it all.

Laughter. I laugh A LOT. I love laughing and I enjoy laughing. Sometimes when I’m done crying about a situation I’m unhappy about and all the tears are out, I just burst into laughter. Laughing makes me feel a whole lot better and I’m grateful for that.

Food. Guyyyyyyyyyyy!! I am grateful for food. I like to eat and I like exploring with food from all over the world. I like hosting people even though I haven’t done that much. I like it when people get together and eat some good food together because food brings people together. I plan to include some food content on the blog, so stay tuned! 😊

Fashion. I love fashion but my love for it was repressed during the period that I moved to England. I went through a phase where I chose not to care about a lot of the things I cared about before. Fashion was one of them. Now when I say I love fashion, I am not really a big brand name or fashion show person, but I love and appreciate the creativity that goes into putting different pieces together and making them work. I am slowly allowing myself to be fashionable again so let time tell!

Books. I love books and I love reading. I just completed Chimamanda Adichie’s Dear Ijeawele and I loved it! Reading is one of my favourite things to do so I am grateful for books and the knowledge I gain from them.

The Arts.  A good painting can put me in a good mood and change the whole atmosphere of a room. I also like spoken word, poetry, theatre arts, singing (I practically sing all the time), dancing and acting. Apart from painting, I was involved in all these activities and was close to choosing to study theatre arts courses for A Levels and at university. These days I try to enjoy the arts by visiting an art gallery, watching plays and musicals, going for poetry shows etc. I recently went to see the theatre adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives at the Arcola Theatre in East London and it was simply outstanding!

Music. Come on now! This is self-explanatory. Music is life!

Nature. Trees. Streams. Green vegetation. Butterflies. Paddling Ducks and Swans. Proud Peacocks. Squirrels with nuts. Waterfalls. Foggy mornings. Sunrises. Sunsets. Snow. High mountains. Low valleys. A sunny beach day. Bright flowers. Chirping birds… I could go on. Nothing makes me calm, centred, focussed and free on the inside like nature. I like to take time to observe nature and bask in all of its glory. God’s creation is beautiful. I’m grateful!

My Bed. A good night’s sleep is all I need to find my centre again whenever I have had to deal with a stressful situation so I’m grateful for my bed.

Hard Times. I have only lived for a quarter of a century, but I have seen some really gloomy periods. I am grateful for these challenging times because I end up learning new things, becoming more empathetic and having an increased capacity for life due to a lot of stretching.

My Career. I am grateful for how I have grown career-wise. I get to work in the aviation sector which is what I have wanted since I was a child. I am excited about the future and all that it holds.

Adventure. I am an adventurous person. I love experiencing life in fresh new ways and learning new things. I admit I have not been as adventurous lately, but I can’t wait to start engaging in deep, fun and scary adventures once again.

Netflix & Amazon Prime. On days when I get back from work tired, I just curl up in my sitting room and watch a show while simultaneously writing a blog post. So, I’m grateful for the illusion of having some company that Netflix and Amazon Prime provide me.

Board Games. Always fun.

Slumber Parties. A sleepover is always a good idea. I love turning up at my aunties’ and family friends’ houses and ending up staying the night. Add some food, music and wine. Bingo!

Spa days. A deep tissue Thai massage makes me feel better every time. I’m grateful that exists!

The Sound of Music. The Sound of Music is my favourite movie. I watched it almost every day when I got back from nursery school. I know every word and every song in the movie. Anytime I’m feeling extremely sad and unhappy, I watch The Sound of Music to cheer me up and I am transported right back to my amazing childhood.

Myself. I am grateful for me. I am grateful that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am grateful that I have the mind of Christ and that I am special. God’s own idea. I am created for exploits and I am grateful that I will fulfil my destiny in Christ Jesus by God’s grace. Amen.