My heart is glad for the pretty things that surround me in this environment. The flowers are blooming all over the place and the birds are flocking all around.
For the simple things of life, like a warm bowl of chilli and vegetable soup brewed in my kitchen, for the crispy cool Sahara air; even though we are all sneezing and coughing, I give thanks.
Above all things today, I am so grateful that we were able to find Prednisolone at 3am this morning, when my young boy woke up with sudden bad allergic reaction and a swollen face.
We used all the normal stuff for him, but to no avail.
He is allergic to certain environmental factors and it occurs more with weather changes like Summer with all the pollen or the dusty Winter air in this climes.
I did not want to use EpiPen which I keep for only extreme reactions.
Mercifully, the allergic reaction has been arrested and we have every cause to smile.
For what are you thankful today? ”Remember that feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward.
Wearing a crown painstakingly made by my younger brother 🙂
My dearest darling daughter,
I watch in awe as you edge on the cusp of teenage-hood, so fast, so soon, since it seems just like yesterday that your cute, squiggly and warm self was handed into my arms and you truly became mine.
I still relive your valiant struggle to surmount all the challenges faced by a tiny preemie and as I look at you today, my tall elegant child, it is in amazement of God’s goodness and grace over your life.
Daughter mine, my gentle unassuming child, in my minds eyes, I remember your tiny arms outstretched to me so many times as you uttered, ”carry mama” always a toddling step behind my feet.
Now, look at you! My beautiful budding young child, full of her own dreams and aspirations andbright as the morning star.
The love that I have for you cannot be expressed fully with words and my heart burgeons with so much delight with The Heavens for allowing you to be mine.
I say this so that you may always know, that even if you look back tomorrow and I am no where to be found, that I love you to the ends of time.
That I love you unconditionally and irrevocably.
Know that as your wings grow and are stretching to fly, that I pray for you today and always.
I pray that your star will always shine as bright as The Heavens created it to be.
I pray that you will soar like an Eagle and that wisdom will always follow you.
I pray that deep peace that flows like the oceans of time will always be your portion and the flow of your joy shall be like a river.
I pray that the generosity and compassion of your heart will continually expand.
I pray that abundant Grace will be your daily cloak, that favour will be your portion and that the Mercy of God will never depart from you.
I pray that your courage will be boundless as you grow into a confident, strong lady, filled with faith, hope and love.
I pray deeply that life will treat you well. Be blessed. Be happy. Be well.
Happy 12th my precious girl Nnenna, Adaobi, Christine, Mmesomachukwu.
There are moments in life that I look back on and wished that it could have turned out differently and this is one of those guilty moments: a letter to the young man that died.
However, with the realization that the past is where it belongs, one can only strive to a brighter present.
I have managed to get above and beyond these feelings by first and foremost, conscientiously working hard at forgiving myself for something that was beyond of my control.
At times, no amount of penance can get rid of the burden of sadness that weighs down on my mind when I ponder on some of the guilt-ridden episodes in my life but the amazing thing is that I have found that the more I reach up and look up to the sky, the less burdened I become.
Through Grace and Mercy which are not of my own will, but by succumbing to faith, hope, prayers, I can actually say, that I have the peace of The Lord which surpasses even my own understanding and that the haunting has ceased.
As most of you know by now, Barbara Beacham, the lovely host of “Monday’s Finish the Story” flash fiction challenge, passed away from cancer, on Sunday, November 22.
Because she was a beacon for many of us, several people have asked that a flash fiction challenge be done in her honor and in her memory. This is a ‘special’ challenge and does not replace the normal weekly challenge which will be posted as normal.
Thank you Priceless Joy for presenting this humbling idea. May she rest well.
I am thankful for those celebrating Thanksgiving. I am still waiting for the invite from you, to come over to baste and eat the Turkey, since I am too far away to join the fun, I will simply drool over the photos.
For journey mercies, I thank you Lord. These are no longer days where men set off nonchalantly, undertaking far distance journeys without a thought given to the safety of the journey.
As I continue to be grateful for the simple things of life, today, I am most grateful for the safe return of my husband from trips across Continents.
Yesterday, close to 10p.m when he was boarding his flight after the usual security checks, he called to tell me that they would soon take off.
We had a little chat and in-between, he started talking about his life insurance scheme (I knew that he was saying that to me, just in case of eventuality, but I did not want to fill my heart and mind with any negative thoughts), I simply said to him, we will talk more about that when you get home and in my heart I silently uttered another word of prayer for mercy and grace to be their guide.
I refuse to let the spirit of present fear dictate the pace of my life because that will simply suck the joy juice out of it.
I choose instead for my mind to remain in the state of praise, thanksgiving and grace, since it is a gift that I can give myself and expend without fear of it finishing irrespective of whatever the situation of things might be.
Have a grateful heart today. I want to thank Colline and Maria Jansson for the gratitude challenge platforms that you both present.
It is often too easy to express gratitude and thanksgiving when everything seems to be in the right place in our lives and around us, and such a hard task to have a grateful heart when everything seems to be falling apart.
No doubt, it is not an easy task to remain on the upbeat and positive, but we should not tarry too long in the doldrums.
Nature abhors vacuum and if at the point in time when our spirits are very low and we fail to fill that gap made with edifying and uplifting emotions, habits, thoughts, reactions etc, the vacuum will be filled with defeatist spirits, with oppressive moods that will suck us down into a pit that requires so much energy to climb out of.
Sometimes, some are never able to regain their sense of self and things spiral out of control.
When things are falling apart, we must struggle to keep our sense of grace, gratitude and thanksgiving, because in deed, in everything we give thanks and our heart of thanksgiving, of gratitude will only expand our coast.
There is a time and season for everything and though darkness may come at night, surely there will be light at day.
For today’sgratitude choice, I am grateful for the light of day.
I am grateful to be among the living and know that I still have the chance today to make better that which I failed yesterday.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to dwell on the things that are important.
I am grateful that even in the time of war that there is still love existing.
I am grateful that I am safe and of sound mind.
I am grateful that the simple things of life are accorded to me from above.
I am grateful that I have met friends such as you in this space and thankful for all the love that I see floating around in this space.
I am thankful for a friend like Oneta Hayes who has gone out of her way to say lovely things about me; I heard through the grapevine 😉 My lady, you are a gem 🙂 Bless your golden heart.
Let us not lose sight of the fact that no situation is permanent that ”this too shall pass” whatever it is and we must make each day count in beautiful ways.
What are you grateful for? When you count your blessings and name them one by one, it will surely surprise you at how much you are blessed.
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a cooking pot and twisted tales 