Happiness – Mimi's Thoughts

Soundtrack

Every year, around my birthday, I tend to notice a recurring song on my speakers. Every year, a new song(s).

I actually don’t set out to choose it or them, they just quietly become the song. It’s one repeat in the kitchen, in the car, when I pray, at work in the office and sometimes in the quiet of my mind when I wake or I am about to fall asleep.

Looking back, I think I can almost trace my life by these songs.

When I turned 40, my song was The Story I’ll Tell by Naomi Raine. It was a season where I found myself trusting God with chapters I couldn’t yet understand. I didn’t have all the answers, but I believed one day I’d look back and see His fingerprints all over my life. I didn’t have these words back then. They just flow now as I look back and realise that’s what that song was helping me do.

At 41, it was Dependable God by Victor Thompson. That year reminded me that God’s faithfulness isn’t measured by how easy life feels. He’s dependable because that’s His nature. He doesn’t change.

At 42, Joy Is Coming by Todd Galberth became my anthem. I mean… Anthem. It didn’t cancel the difficult days but it simply reminded me that they don’t have the final word. Joy was on its way, even when I couldn’t yet see it.

Then came 43, and if I had to describe that year in one name, it would be Brandon Lake. His songs filled my days with worship. They drew my attention away from what was happening around me and back to the One who never changes. When my Spotify wrapped at the end of the year, I wasn’t surprised to find him up there as my artist of the year. He beat Morgan Wallen by a long long slide. My favourite song was Heartfelt Hallelujah. I even got the merch.

Now, as I prepare to turn 44, two songs won’t leave me alone: What a God by Seu Worship and Made for More by Bethel Music.

One fills me with awe while other fills me with expectation.

One reminds me of who God is and the other reminds me of who He created me to become.

Maybe that’s what this new year is about. Not striving for more, but responding to the God who has always been more than enough.

When I look back, I don’t remember these years by birthdays or calendars. I remember them by songs.

#23august1982

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.

Baskets and Contentment

Very early this morning, my husband looked over at my stack of baskets, and then he began laughing.

“Where on earth did you get these baskets?”.

There wasn’t anything wrong with the baskets though, his curiosity was with the number of the baskets. The baskets have been there for about two months and I’m pretty sure he has been meaning to ask.

I went ahead and explained how I bought them and why. This explanation meandered and led to us talking about some adjustments we had to do in our son SonTer’s room before he came home for the holidays. After the lengthy discussion, I sighed and smiled and said, “I just love that boy. He’s such a contented child.”

My husband’s remark to that was one of worry. He worried that SonTer was just like he and I… and maybe the combination makes him too contented. He explained how he always worries that we are too contented… unlike how it’s expected in the world… especially these days.

I pondered on it for a while, and I asked, “…but are we happy?”.

He looked back at me, smiled, and said, “You have a good point, woman.”

Little pieces of Happiness

My friend Nguwa sent me these words in a picture, I decided to transcribe them and share them here. I searched for the author so that I could give them the credit but I wasn’t lucky.

To whoever wrote them, thank you. They are beautiful.

A big part of happiness lies in feeling genuinely excited—excited about the little things. Like making a cup of coffee and really savoring it. Like meeting a friend who feels like home. Like looking forward to the next episode of a show that makes you smile. It’s about saving for something special and finally holding it in your hands. Watching a sunset that reminds you that endings, too, can be beautiful.

It’s about traveling and discovering new sides of yourself. About falling in love, even if it’s just for a moment. Finishing a book that lingers with you long after the last page. Hearing a song that stirs up old, forgotten memories. Laughing unexpectedly, from a place deep inside.

True happiness doesn’t always come from big achievements. It lives in the quiet, ordinary moments—if only we choose to notice them.

To Nguwa, thank you for sharing these words with me and for the coffee, music, laughter and other moments we share together.

Some days

“Babe, have you been drinking?” He couldn’t help but ask.

I threw my head back and laughed so much, I even shocked myself.

My husband had gotten home earlier than I had and was in the bedroom when I walked into the house, bouncy and chatty at 5:25pm.

I noticed how he had looked at me for a little while before asking.

I paused for a while to realize that I was actually a bit out of character…

Not that I’m usually gloomy and moody but I’m never too excited after close of work, especially when I am tired and have to make dinner and do stuff as well.

I hadn’t been drinking…I just was in really good spirits.

Maybe it was the shoes, they were really comfortable…I had them on all day and I didn’t feel a thing.

Maybe it was because my jeans weren’t too tight today and I was happy my current weight loss method was working.

I don’t have a clue why… I may never know.

What I know for certain; I felt good and happy.

I guess some days are like that

Easy like Saturday morning

It is very unusual of me to be up at 7am on a Saturday morning. I usually sleep in till 9am. Saturdays are the only days that I can enjoy that luxury.

On Monday to Friday I am usually out of the house before 7:30am…and even though Sunday mornings are presumably easy, it’s not as easy as my Saturdays.

Ever since flowers began to show up this year, I have found myself admiring a lot of the wild ones I usually see on my way out in the mornings. Wild flowers are one of the reasons I long for my Nigerian spring.

Last Monday I decided that I would take a walk on Saturday to pick a few…and that’s why I was up at 7am.

I woke my son up to join me for the walk… He didn’t think he would like it. So I went alone.

It was a beautiful walk. I found different kind. A few looked like crocuses. They were everywhere and in different colours.

When I was done picking, I walked back quickly to put a bouquet together. I loved the outcome.

I’m sitting in my living room, looking at my bouquet and enjoying a cup of coffee while I write.

Oh…my son thinks I should have made him go for that walk. We have a date for next Saturday.

In Pursuit

Yesterday, while I was at work, I read a post on Writing From The Heart with Brian; 100 Things I Love. The post led me to a few other similar posts and within 30 minutes I was convinced I had to do something similar.

For a couple of weeks I have been getting a nudge to focus more on positive things. It’s all I’ve been thinking about.

By the end of the day, I got home and decided to binge on some TED talks before starting up with dinner and coincidentally… or was it?… The third TED talk by Dmitry Golubnichy titled 100 Happy Days came up and I decided… I need to focus on the positive things a little more… the things that make me happy.

Just like Golubnichy said, we tend to set targets about almost everything except the most important thing in our lives; Our Happiness.

I’m in pursuit of happiness… my sister Msugh asked; “After 40 what else does one need 😄?”

I decided.

#100happydays

#happinesschallenge

#100thingsilove