I went to visit an ex student of my bakery who had twins. I felt so blessed because this was the second set I was holding in the year…from one my ex students.
I binged a Netflix series titled Black Doves… I will share a review sometime.
I got hooked on the police drama ‘The Rookie’. Starting Season Two tomorrow.
I took an obscene number of selfies. Literally every morning.
My dear Auntie Ben had a birthday and so I took her cake and 5 novels on behalf of her kids, they live far away… I gave a journal and pen to keep her busy in her new age.
I started a 7 Day challenge with a few young people. The challenge titled ‘Self and Story’ is geared towards growth and self development.
I read books, I drank lots of herbal tea, I watched my new plant grow.
Journal Entry: Day 4 Date: 30th May 2025 Theme: Check Your Heart
Inventory Summary Emotional State: I’m Truly unsure. I feel like I’m growing in a few specific areas in my life and yet I feel like there’s so much I want to achieve. I yearn to embrace my achievements and enjoy my happiness but something keeps trying to weigh me down. Spiritual State: I feel sure when I let myself rest in the arms of my Saviour. I’m glad this is steady flow for me.
Heart Check One word that describes my heart today: Becoming. A sentence about what I need most right now: I need to feel a difference.
5-Song Playlist Reflecting My Life and Current Season
1. “Unwritten” – Natasha Bedingfield This song is a personal anthem for my son and me. We listen to it as a way to motivate ourselves — a reminder that the power lies within us, and no one else will write our story. It’s all inside of us.
2. “Rise Up” – Ada Ehi This track resonates deeply with me and my sisters. It speaks to the strength we must summon to rise above our circumstances — because no one else can do it for us. The will and the power are within.
3. “Seasons Change” – United Pursuit, Michael Ketterer This song reminds me that life flows in seasons. Each one — with its uncertainties and transitions — carries lessons. Right now, I may not feel fully present, but I rest in the assurance that God’s love is carrying me through.
4. “One More Day” – Sons of Sunday I chose this song as I reflect on how deeply God loves me, even through my struggles. He offers grace, even in the midst of pain, and gives me the gift of one more day — every day. Listening to this also brings my dad to mind.
5. “Anyone Who Knows” – Irma Thomas I love the feeling called love. Love is beautiful and I feel it deep down. I find happiness in love…my son, husband, sisters, parents and anyone who means much to me. Sometimes I feel it’s really hard to explain. Sometimes I feel most people don’t understand it.
For the challenge, I was actually unsure about what to do.
The first thing that came to mind was to be very serious and intentional about my diet. I think it’s the single most important thing for me to do right now. I have been feeling a lot heavier than usual and my knees hurt so bad. When my knees start to hurt, it’s a clear sign that I have become careless with my health and with what I eat. Today I’m saying NO and YES.
No to unhealthy living and unhealthy food
Yes to wellness and good health.
Submissions: 1. I took a step towards eating right, staying healthy and then exercising a bit. I will decline any unhealthy offers and prepare my meals on time to avoid falling into temptation. I feel good about the decision and I hope to sustain it for as long as possible 2. For my thank you note, I wrote one to my son. I can’t show him now because he is in school but I will keep it and show him when he gets back.
Journal Entry – Day 2 Date: 26th May, 2025 Theme: Be present
Activity: I spent half an hour offline…no phones, no screens, no music. I transplanted a few flowers from small pots to bigger ones. What did I notice about myself? I realized that being COMPLETELY offline is easily doable, I just have to decide. And just as always, I loved the time alone.
Submission: 1. How did I feel when I spent time with myself? • I felt refreshed. • I felt in tume with myself. • I got a lot of new ideas, especially for my writing.
2. The Story of the Six Swans From the perspective of “The wicked witch”
A lonely woman sat at the base of a tree. She had been sitting there for over three hours, feeling lost and heavy with sorrow. Her heart ached at the thought of returning home — not because she lacked courage, but because she couldn’t bear to watch her daughter cry again. Six months earlier, her husband had died, and the townspeople had blamed her. Whispers turned into accusations. They called her a witch. She tried everything to prove her innocence, but no one would listen. In the end, they banished her and her daughter into the forest. Her daughter cried every day, mourning her father and the life they had lost. On one such day, as the woman sat beneath the tree, a man passed by. He looked weary and disoriented. He told her he was lost and couldn’t find his way home. She offered to guide him—she knew the forest like the lines of her own hands—but in return, he had to promise to marry her daughter. The man agreed. He kept his word, and she later discovered that he was a great king. But soon, she found out something disturbing. The king had seven beautiful children whom he had hidden from her. He feared she would harm them—because of the rumors, because of the word “witch.” She was devastated by this betrayal. After all her suffering, she was still met with suspicion and deceit. One day, overwhelmed by heartbreak and rage, she lost control. In her anguish, she called out to the gods to punish the king’s children for the hurt she had endured. And the gods answered. They turned the six sons into swans, and his only daughter was made mute… To be continued 😁
I created a 7 day challenge for some young adults. To encourage them and to also get to know myself, I will be doing the challenge with them. We decided to do it every other day to take some of the pressure off of them. We started yesterday.
Here’s my day 1:
Journal Entry – Day 1 Date: 24th May, 2025 Theme: Know Yourself
Today marks the beginning of my 7-day Self and Story challenge. The focus is on knowing myself—truly and honestly.
Reflection:
1. Three truths about me:
I create my own peace and joy.
I am very emotional.
I forgive even when I don’t want to.
One thing I want to change or grow into: I want to stop doubting myself.
2. Who I am: I am a simple person who values growth—for myself and for others. I’m a thinker and a planner; you’ll almost always find me with a journal and a pen. I go through life with quiet and almost silent strength.
3. Things that define and ground me: Creativity, coffee, books, the colour blue (aqua)—these are my life companions. Books, television, and music help me process life, hold space for full conversations, and find meaning.
If you were to associate me with certain words, they would be: grounded, present, and intentional.
Lastly, I believe strongly in the power and importance of family—and I recognize that family is not always defined by blood.
Thank you Katherine Igbende for putting up a post on ‘International Day of the Boy Child’ the other day. As you celebrated your son, you brought awareness to me. I didn’t know about this.
I went searching and reading about International Day of the Boy Child. I found out that it is celebrated every 16th May. This tradition which began seven years ago in 2018 is not officially recognized by the United Nations (UN), unlike International Day of the Girl Child.
From the very scanty Wikipedia page, it states it’s significance as; “Recognizes the importance of boys’ well-being and the challenges they face, while also celebrating the positive aspects they bring to their communities and families”.
I have heard a fair amount of women complain about the manners and behaviors of the men in their lives. I always tell them that it starts with us, the mothers. Children don’t groom themselves, and especially in Nigeria, we, the mothers are responsible for grooming our children. If we focus so much on the girl child and neglect the boy child, how then can we bring up better men than the ones we complain about?
I fear for the boy child. If a day has been set aside to recognize them and almost no one knows about it, I worry for them. The boy child has come second to the girl child for some time now, and as we see the Girl Child rise and grow in confidence, strength and resilience, we neglect to see that the boy child suffers and lacks a lot.
The boy child may be an “endangered species”. This may be a metaphor but it is very real.
I also found out that the theme for 2025 is “Building Self-Esteem in Boys: Stand Up, Be Heard, Be Seen”
As a mother of an 11 year old boy, I am happy with the recognition of the boy child. I don’t know for how long he has answered to the nickname, but he told me last holiday that his nickname was Sigma. We talked and I loved his understanding and I must say that I was proud of him, and a tad proud of myself.
For whatever reason, the boy child has been recognized and a day has been set aside specifically for them. I suggest that we all rise up and work together to recognize the challenges of the boy child and work together to raise the men of the future.
I realized a few years ago that I use the word Grace a lot. I have heard myself say it in prayer, when speaking with my egroup ladies on our Wednesday zoon call and several other times when I speak of matters that speak to my heart. I began to wonder if I was using it loosely and unnecessarily. I searched and I found that I’m good.
Grace is unmerited favor, kindness, or help freely given…especially when it’s not earned or deserved. It can be spiritual, emotional, or relational. In our/my Christian theology, grace is the love and mercy God gives to people regardless of their worthiness.
I looked more broadly, and I confirmed that grace can also mean elegance in behavior, forgiveness when wronged, or calmness under pressure.
You might recognize that you have grace when:
You offer forgiveness instead of retaliation.
You feel at peace even when things aren’t perfect.
You treat yourself and others with compassion, not condemnation.
You receive kindness or a second chance that you didn’t “earn,” and your heart softens in response.
Grace often shows itself in how you respond…especially when you’re under pressure or dealing with someone else’s flaws or your own failures.
Here are a few ways I have consciously allowed myself to have and also share grace
1. Slow Down and Breathe: Grace begins with presence. When you slow your pace…physically and emotionally, you create room to respond thoughtfully rather than react harshly. A deep breath can be the space grace needs to enter. This is something I’ve learned in the past 3 or 4 years.
“Let your gentleness be evident to all.” — Philippians 4:5
2. Choose Compassion Over Judgment: I am glad to say that I have gained a lot of trust from a number of people around me, people who look up to me by just simply being gentle and less judgmental. Everyone is carrying something unseen. Grace looks beyond mistakes and sees the humanity in others. Before criticizing, ask: What might this person be going through?
3. Be Gentle with Yourself: I have learned to give myself a lot of grace. Grace is not just for others. It’s also about letting go of perfectionism, forgiving yourself, and treating your inner voice with kindness. Self-grace builds the foundation for extending it to others. I have had the need to extent to others lately.
4. Practice Forgiveness: I am grateful for one of the gifts I received in life, the gift of forgiveness. It took me a while to realize that it was a gift at all.
Forgiveness is grace in action. You don’t excuse hurt, but you release the power it has over you. Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting…it means choosing freedom over bitterness.
5. Speak with Kindness: Words have weight. A gracious person uses their voice to uplift, not to wound. Even hard truths can be spoken with kindness and respect.
6. Accept Grace When It’s Given: It’s sometimes hardest to receive grace…whether from God, others, or even life itself. But receiving it opens your heart to pass… I am still learning this particular act. God help me
My son, SonTer was home with me in April. That’s more than anything else I could ask for. He left on the 26th of April for his final term as a first year student though. I’m learning to live with his absence.
I met with some of my primary school mates. I was seeing some of them for the first time after 32 years.
My husband went and got certified and got membership into the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). Big one as a professional accountant.
I said goodbye to a car I had used for a few years and said hello to a newer one. I hope we bond.
Easter Sunday was amazing…SonTer and I visited with my mother in-law and then with my mum. Beautiful moments.
I spent a beautiful day with some amazing young adults on a workshop session I prepared, titled ‘Connect and inspire’. We are still bonding beyond the one day event.
