Haaaibo...Good morning!
Yes, you should have read that exactly in that viral Tik Tok that's keeping us entertained on this side of the world 🤣.
I started a tradition with Thinking out loud. Top 7 followed suit last year. Snakes and Ladders is me sticking to a good thing. If you've read these pieces, you'll probably guess my age accurately. If you haven't, I suggest you do yourself a favour and read them before you go any further. Really? Yes. Trust me. It will be worth your while.
Today is the one before the big one fam. Today marks the beginning of the last lap before venturing deeper into Adulthoodville. Today is one of those moments which I would normally overlook. Much like those views I only notice after years because my focus has been elsewhere. I guess because of that, I'd like to reflect on things I feel like I've overlooked this past decade.
As you know, these birthday posts are conversations I have with who I used to be, who I am and who I dream of becoming.
Dear Linda,
For you, Hope comes in the morning. Hope continues to show up on days when joy feels like a foreign concept. Hope has taught you that joy isn't the absence of trials, obstacles and missed deadlines. Hope comes in the morning and it holds the space when a lot of things don't make sense. Appreciate this more.
Don't forget that the commitment to praise God comes right before the declaration of how you are fearfully and wonderfully made. There are so many answers that come from praise. Honour this commitment.
It isn't really that friends are few when days are dark. Friends are few, because they too are in the dark. Friends are keeping to themselves because their own loads are a little bit more heavier than they can carry. You can only hope that they know they can count on you to carry it with them. You hope, even more, that they forgive you on days when you can't show up for them. Don't lose sight of this.
Be fair to father time. He does wait for man. He waits for women equally too. Yeep, he's not the discriminating type. Jonga, that guy is very inclusive to all of us. Let me make my point before I get sidetracked by all things patriarchy. Time does wait for us. We just always tend to think that we have more time. Now that's where it gets tricky. So make the most of each season you enter baby girl. Soak in the warmth of each joke, heart to heart and aha moment that you receive when you exchange energy with people. Why? Those tend to keep you warm when cycles come to an end. Accept this.
They mean well when they say that "Dynamites come in small packages" while encouraging you. You just don't see yourself as small anymore. I'm not saying that Imposter Syndrome doesn't show you flames from time to time. It does. You're just content with your size and it isn't small. Dynamites come in all packages. Even packages which still look for deals in the kids clothing section. Remember this.
As you enter into this chapter, chin up and tell that "things to do before" list that life is just like Snakes and Ladders. There are parts of you that are still haunted by those snakes which swallowed you and dragged you back. There are parts of you that are so grateful for the ladders that pulled you up when you least expected it. At the end of the day, you've never appreciated the gift of life as much as you do now. Forgive yourself for not being where you thought you were supposed to be. Trust the process of who you are becoming. Be unapologetic about this.
Happy birthday to you kiddo!
