Family · Love · writing challenge

A little bit of love…

Love

“I love you.” This sweet sentiment is often flippantly said to our loved ones: our spouses/partners, children, siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, and uncles. Although we may love our loved ones, but do we ask ourselves this pertinent question “Do they know that I love them and do I show them how much how I love them?” We toss around this heartwarming saying all the time because it is so easy to say, but oftentimes, we forget that words do not mean anything without backing it with action. 

So how do I show love? Well it depends on what kind of love we are talking about and who is at the receiving end of this love. If it is agape or familial love, I strive to express such love to those in my life and the people that I encounter daily. This could be by paying them a compliment, listening actively to what they have to say, giving a hug when necessary, sending or having a meal together, sharing/buying a gift, sending an uplifting message, praying for them or with them, spending quality time with them, having a good time together, appreciating them etc.

The love that I feel for my children covers a large scope and encompasses things such as teaching them life skills, supporting their interests and aspirations, putting food on the table, providing a welcoming home and for their needs, giving them the enabling environment to grow and be themselves, protecting them from external dangers, counselling and handholding, making endless sacrifices, being interested in what they are doing, apologizing to them when I am wrong and being willing to change, being available 24/7 for them and much more..

For my husband and life partner, it is an all encompassing love and I endeavour to demonstrate the 5 languages of love to him on a regular basis- using words of affirmation, spending quality time together, serving each other, buying him gifts, physical touch and showing of affection (I am touchy-feely kind of person) and he reciprocates. Our union of 23 years has passed through several tests of time and like any other couple we do have our ups and downs. It is most certainly not always sunshine, kisses and rainbows, but those down moments have served in strengthening our understanding and love for each other.

On a final note, displaying your love for your family can provide an active meaning to those three words ‘ I love you.’ It is best to show your love to your family so they will not have to question if you love them or not. 

Love · Musings · Philosophy of Life

To love or not to love?

Those who are the hardest to love, need it the most – Socrates

Sometimes, it seems far easier for our peace of mind to walk away from those in our lives who are so hard to love. Such situation is certainly a paradox in life. It can be tough and even most times exasperating loving someone who is indifferent to your attempts. I believe that the problem of such people stems from unresolved issues and they may have developed this mental defensive mechanism as a way of coping and in response to their secret concerns. Do we then stop loving them and walk away?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Love is a choice; sometimes a deliberate decision. You can’t force it down someone’s throat or make them reciprocate what they don’t feel. I should think that it is far more pragmatic to love such a person and to pray for them from a distance because loving them up close can be mentally exhausting and emotionally draining.

Walking away from them should not be about abandoning them ‘cos love is what feeds and fills our soul. Love does not rush. It is patient! I guess we love them because we hope for and see potential for change.

Love · Poetry/Poems

The numbers…

These are
the number of kisses that we’ve had
the little dinners we have held
the evening walks on Tuesday’s end
the glorious sunsets around the bend

These are
the number of laughter we have shared
the times our silence has been paired
the million tiny tales we’ve told
the times you held me when I cried

These are
the moments we lived as we foretold
the times that slipped and went untold
the many nights our eyes went unslept
the promises made and yet unkept

These are…

Art · Life · Love · Poetry/Poems · Popular Culture

Wake Me Up – Avicii

I wanted it to be a rumour, I prayed that it’s a bloody rumour
sadly, it’s so cold, so true, so unexpected.

News of your passing leaves a huge lump in my throat
unbidden tears flow as I listen to your beats over and over

I love your music more than I can say, the sadness in my soul feels brittle
How is it that I love someone that I’ve never met this much?

Avicii, your lyrics spoke to me on a deep level
I looked forward to a day I would go to your concert

Alas! Your show has become one that I’ll never attend.
Hey brother!  Though you never grew to be older, you were older than your years.

Rest In Peace Avicii and May Perpetual Light Shine On You.

Everyday People · Love · Parenting

Painted Up…Every day beautiful people 34

“Parents need to fill a child’s bucket of self-esteem so high that the rest of the world can’t poke enough holes to drain it dry.” Alvin Price

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He does look cutely ferocious 😉 I bet I will scare people to death if I tried this.


Below is my first Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

#affection · Love · Poetry/Poems · The Daily Post

Whispering tendrils…

 

Fingers
caress her tender scalp
luxurious tendrils of auburn hair
are put in a twisted knot
‘I love you forever’
I whisper into her ears
shivery bumps run down her spine
as she sighs in dreamy reply.

*********

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Whisper, The Daily Post Prompt

Image: pixabay

Fiction · Love · Short Stories

To Cry In The Rain….Friday Fiction In Five Sentences.

Girl, Sad, Crying, Raining, Rain Drops, Window, People

Anna-Gaelle’s desire for self-torture outweighed her sense of self-preservation as she sat in a quiet corner of the pews and watched the proceedings.

She braced herself and kept a stiff upper lip even as tears pooled at the back of her eyes and a lump formed in her throat.

She watched as they exchanged their vows, which sounded like a death knell to her heart.

The brush of their lips as they sealed the nuptials tugged at her in envy and sadness; sending the message that he could never be hers clearly across.

Blinded by tears that streamed unbidden down her face, she stepped out into the drizzle allowing her tears to mingle freely with the raindrops.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Love · Poetry/Poems

Parched and Watered…

His arid heart

Had become lonely.

All it took were several

Drops of her love

To refresh

It.

There’s nothing

Like the right words

To refresh a parched

and thirsty soul.

It’s like fuel

To one’s

life.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Refresh, The Daily Post

Friday Fiction in Five Sentences · Love · Short Stories

Heartache…Friday fiction in five sentences.

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Bowed down, she sobbed in pain as his words cut through her heart and ripped it into little bits.

I am sorry, but it’s over he said.

Was it something I did she asked brokenly.

No, it’s not you. It’s just that I need some space to sort out stuff and I am just not feeling it anymore. He chose the location because he knew that she did not like confrontation and he wanted a quick way out.

The anger surged in her like a fiery ball of fire. All the wasted years of empty promises and he now decides he’s not feeling it. Well, it’s not going to be a quick sprint in the park. She rose like a maddened Tigress, picked up the vase on the table and emptied it’s watery content over his head. She gave him a resounding thwack with her bag and marched off in fury.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

Love · Personal

His Big Screen…personal

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I chuckle as I write this. I can’t think of anything else when the word screen shows up as today’s prompt.

Why would the word screen rouse a chuckle out of me?

Well it reminded me of my short, sizzling courtship with my husband nearly sixteen years ago and when we first met.

I remember the first thought that I had when I looked at his glasses.

They were as big as a Boeing 727 jet with wide screen and behind the wide screen were very beautiful eyes.

I wondered why he was wearing contact lens and wearing such big screen in the name of glasses at the same time.

It turned out that they are not contact, but my husband has hazel eyes.

For a fully black man, that is not common. It was mostly albinos that I knew that had light eyes in Africa, but as time went on, I got to learn of Africans with blue eyes.

I think it was those lovely hazel eyes of his that got me and yes, for the love of me, he got rid of the Boeing 727 and we settled for a lovely pair of Tom Ford frames.

The Daily Post prompt Screen.