Be Well❤️

A Love Letter

As someone who doesn't take herself and abilities too seriously, the WhatsApp text "You inspire me" made me shout Eweeeyyy in the voice of the legendary paw-paw because truly truly..

I always never understood how I inspired anybody and for years, I've been quick to dismiss such statements with a nervous chuckle while saying "Abeg o! It's not that deep".

It was a hot afternoon, a very hot afternoon and I can't seem to recall the exact cause of the heat - the fact that I was just served breakfast or the Sun that shone in a way that screamed "I am the blideee" - however, I remember the days that followed that intense heat.

I remember the "Chioma, I am proud of you" that threw me into a sobbing fit and made my entire being quake - 'Proud of who? Proud of what?'

I remember recounting all the things I felt had gone wrong in my life in 2023, trying to think of something that had gone right but finding none, not even one thing, which wasn't a surprise because I wallowed so much in expectations that weren't forthcoming hence the blindness and oblivion to blessings that surrounded me.

I remember thinking I was in serious trouble the day I opened my journal and saw that I hadn't achieved any of my numerous plans for 2023 and I may not even achieve any. 

I had groundnut, I had milk, I had sugar and I ALWAYS have garri. I measured all in appropriate quantities, poured in a bowl and drank myself to sleep, because ije nwanyi aburo Baby have you eaten?

Hey,

This Is A Love Letter.

The fact that you got the notification of a newsletter from me and you are currently reading shows You have something some people lost - Life.

The fact that you understood everything you've read to this point is a sign that you should be grateful for sound mind. You should be appreciative that your brain is not mmiri-mmiri like that of the strange young man that held my hand in Ogbete main market, refusing to let me go and insisting I was Nneka, his sister that ran away from their village seven years ago with her Togo boyfriend (that guy sha🤦🏽‍♀️).

Hey,

Be kind to yourself, walk your journey and respect your process because comparison is often a thief of joy.

Your plans for 2023 fell through, okayyy? Now you feel unworthy, small and think of yourself no less than a failure. What about 2024? What is stopping us from carrying those plans over? Why do we constantly put ourselves on a timeline and play the role of our own executioner?

Again I ask, Why?

You may not be where you want to be but you're definitely not where you used to be so if you're looking for a sign then here it is, Be Grateful, Be Well, Kwechiri, Go again. I’ll do same and when next someone says; You inspire me, I'll smile, bask in the warmth of that compliment and respond; I am glad.

Love❤️,

Chioma.