Emaistace

This Feels Wrong

I’ve been watching Ransom Canyon Season 2, and I have to admit, I’m struggling to understand something.

When the previews hinted that Lauren and Kit were going to become a thing, I went on TikTok to see what people were saying, and to my surprise, so many people were excited.

They were cheering. They couldn’t wait for it to happen…. And I’m here wondering… Why?

Maybe I watch stories differently, but I don’t see this as a victory.

At the point I’m watching now, Lucas has just seen Lauren and Kit kiss.

His own brother.

That moment broke his relationship with Lauren, and now Lauren is in tears.

I’m not celebrating. I’m grieving the damage.

What surprises me even more is that so many people seem to be rooting for the relationship simply because Lauren and Kit have chemistry.

But is chemistry enough?

One thing I noticed long before the kiss was how much Lauren and Kit seemed to dislike each other. Their arguments were intense. The tension between them was always there. While many viewers probably saw that as romantic tension, I saw something different.

I kept thinking, “These two hate each other a little too much.” I’m familiar with the Enemies to Lovers trope I’m romance and I kept feeling as if all that emotion would find an outlet, and unfortunately, it came out in a way that hurt someone else.

Maybe that’s what the writers intended. Maybe they wanted us to believe that strong emotions can blur the line between love and hate. But for me, that doesn’t make the outcome something to celebrate.

Perhaps this says more about me than it does about the show. When I watch a story, I’m not only looking at who ends up together. I’m thinking about loyalty, trust, and the people left picking up the pieces.

I can’t ignore Lucas standing there, watching his girlfriend kiss his brother.

That image stays with me more than the romance.

I’ve realized that social media and I often experience stories differently. A scene that sends thousands of fans into excitement can leave me feeling deeply uncomfortable.

And I’m okay with that.

Not every relationship with chemistry deserves applause.

Sometimes chemistry creates beautiful love stories. Other times, it creates heartbreak.

Right now, all I can see is the heartbreak.

Maybe as I continue watching Ransom Canyon, my perspective will change.

But at this point in the story…

I simply don’t understand why everyone is celebrating.

Well, like I always say… Different strokes… Right?

Ransom Canyon is basically one of those small-town dramas where everybody knows everybody, but everyone is carrying one secret or another. You’ve got family drama, romance, heartbreak, rivalry, grief, and plenty of “Why would you do that?” moments. It’s set around ranch life in Texas, but it’s really more about the complicated relationships between the people than the cowboys and horses. If you like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias or even Yellowstone, you’ll probably enjoy it. It’s available on Netflix.

They’re Watching

They’re Watching… Even When We Think They Aren’t

Yesterday, I came across a video that got me thinking. It talked about how children don’t just listen to what we say, they watch how we live.

Honestly, I had to pause the video for a minute because I could relate so much.

One thing I became very intentional about years ago was telling unnecessary phone lies. You know the kind I’m talking about. “Tell them I’m not around.” “Tell them I’m sleeping.” “Say I’m not at home.”

They’re the little things we sometimes say without thinking much about them. But then when my son started to become aware of things, I realized he was always listening. Always.

So I stopped.

It wasn’t because I suddenly became perfect, it was because I didn’t want him growing up thinking that being dishonest was normal.

The funny thing is, he’s thirteen now, and if I accidentally say something that doesn’t quite add up, he’s quick to look at me like… “Mummy…” No long speech. No lecture. Just that look… And I immediately know I’ve been caught. He’s been doing this for many years now.

Children have a way of holding us accountable without even trying. This makes me realize that parenting isn’t just about teaching. It’s about demonstrating.

Our children are learning how to speak by listening to us. They’re learning how to treat people by watching us. They’re learning how to handle disappointment by seeing how we react. They’re even learning whether it’s okay to say “no” by watching us set or fail to set healthy boundaries.

That part really hit me.

Sometimes we say yes when we desperately want to say no because we don’t want to offend people. We overextend ourselves. We keep everyone happy while quietly becoming exhausted.

Our children notice that too.
I remember one day I let some people bully me and I ended up crying… A lot. I cringe every time remember, my son was there, he watched the whole thing. I’m glad I have since learned how to speak up for myself and say “no” when I have to.
If they grow up watching us constantly ignore our own boundaries, they may grow up believing that’s what kindness looks like.

It isn’t.

One of the healthiest things a child can see is a parent who can lovingly say,

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”… Without guilt or drama… Without feeling like the world will end.

Here’s something else I’ve learned first hand over the years. Our children don’t need perfect parents, they need honest ones.

Parents who can say, “I was wrong.” “I’m sorry.” “I’ll do better next time.” It teaches them far more than pretending we’ve got everything figured out.

I think one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is a life that matches our words as often as possible.

Are we going to get it right every single time? Of course not… But every day gives us another opportunity to model the kind of adults we hope they’ll become.

Because whether we notice it or not… They’re watching.

Grace

I think one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to learn is giving people grace.

I’ve sat through sessions and I’ve read books that teach about grace. I’ve listened to people talk about choosing grace over resentment. I even remember one session where I was encouraged to choose one person to give grace to… I chose my dad. It wasn’t easy, but I did. And somewhere along the line, it helped. It didn’t erase everything, but it helped me breathe a little easier.

But there’s something nobody really prepares you for… What do you do when you keep giving someone grace… and every single time you’re almost ready to believe things are changing, they go and break your heart all over again? Seriously, each time when it seems like you’re about to let them cash in on their grace, they just go and mess it all up again.

That’s the part I struggle with.

Because I don’t want to become bitter or to to be that person that keeps scores. I don’t want to be the person who gives up on people too quickly.

But I’m tired. I’m not angry. Just… tired.

It hurts when you keep making room for someone in your heart, and they keep reminding you why you closed that door in the first place.

And then I start questioning myself.

Am I not giving enough grace?
Or am I giving away pieces of myself that I should be protecting?

I honestly don’t know.

I still believe in grace.

I’m just having one of those days where it feels really, really expensive.

Yesterday meets Today

There are moments in parenting that don’t seem important when they happen, but somehow become beautiful memories later.

On the 2nd of April 2025, my son sat down and sketched Lamine Yamal. Ten days later, on the 12th of April 2025, he drew Lionel Messi. At the time, they were simply two drawings by a boy who loves football and enjoys putting pencil to paper. We admired them, smiled, and moved on.

Fast forward to today.

Spain and Argentina meet in the final, and I found myself scrolling back to those sketches. It made me smile that, without either of us knowing, he had already drawn both sides of today’s story. Whichever team lifts the trophy tonight, one of his sketches will be the winner.

The only thing missing is him.

He’s away at boarding school, and I wish he were home so we could watch the match together, argue over every decision, celebrate every goal, and laugh at the funny moments.

Tonight, I’ll be watching for both of us with two sketches, one memory, and a heart that’s missing its favourite football companion.

Different Strokes

“That guy doesn’t entertain me. From his fashion sense to his sheepish looks and all.”

A colleague said that about Messi.

My reply was simple: Different strokes.

I love Messi. His humble looks. His simplicity.

See how we both say the same thing about him but use different words?

I think it comes down to what our views and lives perceive in people.

Messi may not entertain my colleague, but he fascinates me.

Completely.

And that’s okay.

We are all different. We don’t all admire the same qualities, and we don’t all find beauty in the same things. Sometimes, what one person dismisses is exactly what another person treasures.

Perhaps that’s one of the quiet reminders life keeps giving us: different strokes, indeed.

Enjoy the Art

I was minding my business on TikTok this evening when Apple TV+ decided to tell me Ryan Reynolds has a new movie coming out… This September. I already know I’ll most likely watch it when it becomes available in my area.

What surprised me wasn’t the trailer. It was the comment section of the post.

Oh my Goodness… The hate was loud. Really really loud.
I found some commentors asking, “Wait… what happened?” “Why does everyone suddenly hate Ryan Reynolds?” “Do we not like Ryan Reynolds anymore?”
I didn’t wonder along with them because I knew exactly why they were hating.

A lot of the backlash stems from the ongoing legal dispute involving Reynold’s wife, Blake Lively, and actor/director Justin Baldoni. Ryan stood by his wife publicly… as most husbands probably would. This made many people feel disappointed by the position he took. Whether you agree with him or not, opinions have become incredibly divided.

I won’t lie. For a brief moment, I felt caught in the middle too.
I’ve always liked Ryan Reynolds. His sense of humor is effortless, his acting is brilliant, and he has this way of making almost every role enjoyable to watch.
So, did the controversy make me pause? Yes it sure did.
Did it make me hate him? No.

And that’s when another thought crossed my mind.
Why do we find it so easy to hate people these days?
Not disagree with them. Not question them. Not even criticize them. Just… hate them.

It reminded me of Colleen Hoover… And just to add, this whole Reynolds controversy stems from the period of the movie production of Hoovers It Ends with Us.

I’ve watched people tear Hoover apart online for years. The funny thing is, I’ve never even taken the time to investigate every reason behind the criticism. I simply know she’s become one of those people the internet has collectively decided to dislike.

Yet, somehow, millions of people have laughed, cried and healed through her books.

Then there’s Morgan Wallen.
Recently, I found myself reading about some of his past controversies. There were arrests, poor decisions and headlines that weren’t exactly flattering. Did it change the fact that I love his music?
No it didn’t.
His songs still make me smile.
They still tell stories that resonate with me.

So I made peace with something. I don’t have to approve of every decision an artist has ever made before I can appreciate what they create.

I can enjoy Morgan Wallen’s music without defending his mistakes.

I can admire Ryan Reynolds’ talent without pretending to know everything about his personal life.

I can appreciate Colleen Hoover’s creativity without making her my moral compass.

Maybe that’s where I’ve landed.

The internet doesn’t seem to leave much room for middle ground anymore. It’s almost as if we’re expected to pick a side immediately.

Love them.
Cancel them.
Support them.
Boycott them.
No middle ground.

But life has taught me that human beings are far more complicated than hashtags and comment sections.

People are flawed, they disappoint us, they grow, they make mistakes… Sometimes they apologize… Sometimes they don’t.

Sometimes we choose to keep supporting their work and sometimes we don’t.

That’s a personal decision, and I respect it.

For me, though, I don’t want to join every online pile-on just because it’s trending.

I’d rather think, read, make my own conclusions and remember that someone can create something beautiful while still being an imperfect human being.

If we demanded perfection from every artist before enjoying their work, our playlists would become very quiet, our bookshelves much emptier, and our watchlists surprisingly very very short.

So yes… I’ll probably watch the Ryan Reynolds movie.
I’ll still listen to Morgan Wallen.
I’ll probably pick up another Colleen Hoover book if the story interests me.

I won’t do all that because I think any of them are perfect, I will do it because I’m learning to appreciate the art without expecting perfection from the artist.
And honestly… I think there’s a little more peace in living that way… Peace for me.

Simple Skill

Yesterday, I learned a lesson I thought I already knew. You see, for years, I’ve had someone professionally wrap my nails with acrylic and gel. Last weekend, she couldn’t make our Saturday appointment, and I was too busy to see her on Sunday. By the time the new week started, my nail wraps were lifting, and I could tell I was about to lose some of my natural nails underneath. I looked at the situation and thought to myself, “How difficult could it be?”

I bought the materials and decided to do it myself. Within a few minutes, reality set in. It wasn’t as easy as it looked. Not the slightest.

The neat finish I had admired for years suddenly became a mystery. The smooth application and how she shapes the nails and her precision. I began to even think about her patience. I dawned on me, it all required a level of skill I simply didn’t have. By the time I was done… Done here means I gave up, I had gained something far more valuable than a fresh set of very badly done nails: I gained a renewed respect for the woman who has been doing them all these years.

That experience reminded me of something that happened years ago.

My husband once watched me write an inscription on a cake. He complained about how it didn’t look as pretty as it should be. At that time I was yet to master the art, but I was doing alright. In his mind, writing on a cake couldn’t be that difficult.

So I handed him the piping bag.

He barely started before he realized what I had known all along.
He smiled, admitted defeat, and handed the piping bag back to me with the words, “Everybody naim sabi how dem de do their handwork o.”

Keeping your hand steady, controlling the pressure, spacing the letters correctly, maintaining consistency, and creating something beautiful on a soft surface is not something you simply “pick up.” It is a skill developed over time through practice, patience, mistakes, and experience.

Yesterday, I found myself doing exactly the same thing with my nail technician’s craft.

Life has a funny way of keeping us humble.

We often look at someone else’s work and think, I can do that. But what we usually see is the finished product, not the countless hours of learning, failing, improving, and mastering that came before it.

The truth is that every profession, every trade, every craft carries a level of expertise that deserves respect. Whether it’s a baker, a hairdresser, a nail technician, a tailor, a carpenter, an accountant, a teacher, or a mechanic, each person has invested time in becoming good at what they do.

No skill is insignificant.

No craft is “easy” just because someone else makes it look effortless.

Perhaps that’s the real mark of mastery: making difficult things appear simple.

So today, I celebrate people who have taken the time to become excellent at their craft. And I remind myself that I don’t have to be good at everything. It’s perfectly okay to appreciate someone else’s expertise instead of trying to replace it.

After all, everyone is perfect in their own skill.

The next time you’re tempted to say, “How hard can it be?” remember that someone has spent years making it look that easy.

And maybe… just maybe… that’s worth applauding.

What’s one skill you once thought was easy until you tried it yourself? I’d love to hear your story.

Morgan…Home

I have a habit of checking my Spotify stats at the end of the month… I also look forward to Spotify wrapped at the end of every year.
For a number of years, the story was simple: Morgan Wallen. Every Wrapped. Every playlist. Every random shuffle. The man had permanent residency in my ears.

Last year, Brandon Lake somehow marched in and took the top spot, and I didn’t even argue. I kind of liked It. It fit the season I was in… perfectly.

But lately… another name has been quietly climbing the ranks.

Riley Green.

This led me to a full-blown identity crisis. I even found myself asking this question out loud a number of times:

“Wait… is Riley Green replacing my Morgan Wallen?”

Naturally, in the usual Mimi style, I launched an investigation worthy of a true Spotify detective, hahahha. I went back and listened to Morgan. Then Riley. Then Morgan again. Strictly for research purposes, of course.

My findings?

Riley Green is fantastic. His songs are amazing. They stay on repeat. He has that laid-back country charm that I really like, he’s got a voice that sounds like smooth wine, and honestly… the good Lord took His time with that face.

I think something else that drew me to Riley Green is his acting debut. I’m ridiculously curious to see him in Marshals and what he brings as an actor.

But Morgan Wallen?

Morgan Wallen is home. That’s my conclusion.

There’s a difference between an artist who gives you bangers and an artist whose entire catalogue feels like they’ve somehow been reading your diary without your permission. Morgan has a song for every version of me… the happy one, the stubborn one, the heartbroken one, the hopeful one, and the one who just wants to drive with the windows down pretending she’s in a country music video.

Riley Green has songs I absolutely love.

Morgan Wallen has somehow become part of the furniture.

I have to add… This isn’t a battle. Nobody’s getting voted out of my house. My playlists have room for both of them. Always.

I’ve just realized that Riley Green is my current obsession…

…but Morgan Wallen is my forever.

Some people come into your life for a season.

Morgan apparently signed a lifetime lease.

Darling June

I love June.

I haven’t always loved June… June became my favorite month because it gave me my son. That was the year 2013. Since then, it has carried a kind of quiet significance for me. I’ve written about that here before, and every year when June arrives, I subconsciously expect it to leave a mark.

Last year, June almost disappointed me. It was shaping up to be one of those months I’d rather forget until an unexpected rescue arrived.
It wasn’t a person or a dramatic event, it was a book series. The Windy City Series found me at exactly the right time. Those stories didn’t solve my problems, but they gave me somewhere to rest emotionally. They kind of reminded me that sometimes healing comes disguised as entertainment. Yes it does.

This year was different though… Nothing spectacular happened. There weren’t any major milestones or life-changing announcements. And yet, as June comes to an end, I realize it has been one of my favorite months in a long time.

It was peaceful.

Somewhere between the ordinary days, I noticed something had changed. I wasn’t carrying the same weight I’d been carrying for months. Since my former boss’s contract ended in March, I’ve slowly been recovering from a season that left me constantly stressed, irritable, and emotionally exhausted. I didn’t notice the healing while it was happening. But June made me aware of it.

For the first time in a while, I caught up with myself. I watched lots of movies. I disappeared into television series. I finished books simply because I wanted to, not because I was trying to escape. I laughed more. I rested more. I lived at a gentler pace. A very gentle pace.

Looking back, I think that’s what made June beautiful. June was very kind.

We’re often taught to measure good months by promotions, celebrations, achievements, or life-changing moments. I’m thinking this; maybe some months deserve to be remembered for something quieter. Maybe some months exist simply to return us to ourselves.

June 2026 was that month for me.

It whispered, “Rest. You’re allowed to.”

And perhaps that was exactly what I needed.

144 hours of Bible Reading

I’ve been thinking about something.

It’s interesting how we often rally around record attempts involving entertainment or novelty. We celebrate marathon cooking sessions, unusual talents, and all sorts of remarkable feats. We show up, donate, cheer, and make them trend. I mean, really trend.

Yet when someone dedicates themselves to reading the entire Bible aloud for 144 hours, the response is often much quieter.

I don’t say this to diminish anyone else’s achievement. Every genuine accomplishment deserves respect. It simply makes me wonder what our loudest celebrations reveal about what we value.

I’m grateful that her church community stood by her and supported her throughout. Every person taking on a challenge needs people in their corner.

I may not be in Port Harcourt to cheer her on, but I’m encouraged by her commitment. It reminds me that some of the most meaningful acts are not always the ones that make the biggest headlines.

Now let me ask you, Have you heard about her? The Nigerian woman who recently completed a 144-hour Bible reading marathon?

Her name is Habibat Salawudeen Ihiovi-Jack, and she completed the six-day Bible reading challenge in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria as part of an attempt to set a Guinness World Record. She began on June 22, 2026, at the Novotel in Port Harcourt and concluded on June 29, 2026… six days of non-stop reading aloud.

The event, titled “144 Hours in the Word,” was not organized solely to break a record. According to the organizers, its main purpose was to encourage Christians around the world to develop a deeper habit of reading and studying the Bible.

Her senior pastor, Andy Osakwe, shared that the vision for the project began around 2022 and was inspired by a desire to exalt God’s Word above the pursuit of records or recognition.

It’s worth noting that although she has successfully completed the marathon, it is not yet an official Guinness World Record. Guinness World Records will first review all the submitted evidence to confirm that every requirement was met before making a final decision.

Whether or not the record is eventually approved, her commitment has inspired many people to spend more time in God’s Word. I played it in the background on some days as I went about my chores.