Who sat and watched my infant head
When sleeping on my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My Mother

When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye,
And wept for fear that I should die?
My Mother.

Who taught my infant lips to pray
And love God’s holy book and day,
And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way?
My Mother.

And can I ever cease to be
Affectionate and kind to thee,
Who wast so very kind to me,
My Mother?

Ah, no! the thought I cannot bear,
And if God please my life to spare
I hope I shall reward they care,
My Mother.

When thou art feeble, old and grey,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away,
My Mother.

Tribute to Maami

Unto the Lord be the Glory, Great things He has done and greater things He will do.  God has been so merciful and faithful to Maami and her daughters; Olufunmilayo, Olanrewaju, Omolara and Adebisi. Since we were born and after the death of our father in 1965, God, the Yahweh has always been there for us; morning by morning, His mercies we see, all that we needed the Jehovah Jireh provided for us, His steadfast love never ceases, His mercies never come to the end, and they are new every morning, GREAT IS THY FAITHFULLNESS OH LORD.                                                                                     

God, I keep on thanking you for making Maami my mother, an epitome of a good mother; caring, affectionate, hardworking and kind. I learnt a great deal from her. I am the last born of the family and I was four years old when our father died in 1965 yet I did not lack any care. You trained me as you trained my three senior sisters. Ordinarily one would expect that you would relax or even be tired and therefore shift some of the responsibilities to my senior sisters but amazingly, you expended the same energy, time and money to bring me up which contradicts psychologists’ research findings that parents tend to relax after training the first born. Maami, you did not use any leftover or remnant energy, time, money and even disciplinary measures for me, everything was fresh as if I was the first to be raised! No last born in your dictionary, everybody is the same. Maami, you are a rare gem, you are unique, Praise God, you were fearfully and wonderfully made; God’s works in your life are wonderful, I know that very well (Psalm 139: 14).

Maami, you were very caring. I could remember vividly when I was young and I did not like eating my food. You put in all efforts and made sure I ate; you always prepared delicious meals which I often hid under the wardrobe when you were out of sight. You took me to the doctor, and he recommended very expensive cereals and meal replacement like Complan which was very rich in Vitamin C, Iron and Iodine for wellbeing, Calcium and Vitamin D for bone health and Zinc and Selenium to support immunity. In spite of the nutritional value, I hated the cereal just as I hated the food but you always insisted that I should take it. You showed me a wooden bird called “eiye oloke meji” which you said I feared so much and  that whenever I saw the bird, I would eat the food and you did not relent in your efforts until I started eating normally, thank you Maami, for being so caring.

I also remember the way you took care of my children, Deola, Deji and Damilare when they were born. Being a nurse midwife was to our advantage. You were very neat and you always insisted that we wash our hands even before touching their soap, sponge and bath. You were always awake when we were sleeping to make sure that they maintained the right position when sleeping and despite the fact there were mosquito nets on the windows and on the cot, you were always awake to drive mosquitoes away whether visible or invisible. Maami, just as you cared for your children; you also took care of your grandchildren and even more.

Maami, can I forget your hard work? You taught me to be hard working, you beefed up my resilience and you also taught me how to be motivated to forge ahead when faced with challenges. I watched you cope with negative situations and this also helped me in my life accomplishments up till today.  I remember when I was in class one in the secondary school and I could not return to school on the day of resumption because I was ill. Despite the fact that I had doctor’s certificate, the house mistress punished me severely. I told Maami and she went to explain to the woman that I fell from a storey building and hurt my back and I would not be able to do any hard labour. Unfortunately for me, the situation got worse and the woman added to my punishment. I did not tell Maami, but I applied her coping mechanisms until the end of the academic year when I changed to another secondary school. Since that time, I learnt how to work hard, study in the night and also to be resilient.

Maami, thank you for laying the foundation for my education, your support during my First Degree, Masters Degree and Doctorate Degree cannot be overemphasized. You encouraged me to progress after obtaining Nigerian Certificate of Education (NCE). I could remember when you told my husband when we were planning to get married that he should please let me continue with my education after marriage and he consented. Additionally, you greatly influenced my choice of teaching profession together with my husband and I have never regretted my choice of the profession.

Maami, I cannot finish writing about you. You taught to be morally upright and taught my lips to pray. You loved the ways of God and this is the best legacy that you left behind for your children. As a virtuous woman, did not eat the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31: 27); but rather bread won by active, conscientious and diligent labour. You worked very hard for whatever you ate; you never ate where you did not sow. You laboured tirelessly over your children and therefore your children called you blessed (Proverbs 31: 28); and you were able to perform the roles of two people successfully. Maami, many women do noble things, but you surpassed them (Proverbs 31: 29). Thus, you are an overcomer and that is why we are celebrating your life today.“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Revelation 3: 21).

Maami, we believe that it is well with your soul in Jesus name. Continue to rest in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ till we meet to part no more. Maami, e sun re o.

Your daughter, Grace Adebisi Fayombo

TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER, MRS MARIAN ANIKE ADEBAKIN

It is with great thanks to God Almighty, though still with feeling of loss that I write this piece about my beloved mother. God is faithful! It is expected that you have to rest because you have labored. Maami, words cannot be enough to express your virtues as a mother to all of us. Can we talk about our childhood care, when we do not know what the future holds for us, yet you stood firm. Can we imagine what it meant when you were widowed in 1965 at the age of forty and was left with four daughters, yet you were not discouraged? How did you cope with the stigmatization of having just female children with the idea of what good can come out of these ones! It was echoed in your ears from several quarters that it was a waste of time and resources to educate female children, yet you were not dismayed. In fact, I cannot remember when you ever got tired, discouraged or not able to face a challenge. At a time when the future was bleak, you trusted your God and He saw you through! You denied yourself comfort and mortgaged your pleasure to bring us up. You were a ‘mother hen’ that brooded over her chicks for them not to be snatched. You were able by the special grace of God to bring the four of us up together, so that none of us was exposed to different undesirable home environments. Maami, we will forever cherish this sacrifice.

Throughout our years in school, there was not a single time that we were sent out of school for fees or for any need.  You spent a lot of energy each time we return to school after holidays, making sure that clothes, provisions, books etc were well packed. I recall your fortnights visit to my boarding house with food including my favourite dodo (fried plantain). You ensured we had an uninterrupted education because you were focused and not ready to enter into any marital relationship when we lost our father, you were just forty years then and very pretty. What shall I say about your commitment and dedication to the welfare of us all and your grand-children. I thank God for sparing your life to witness different measures of achievements in our lives and those of your grandchildren. Words will fail me. Suffice to say you are A MOTHER IN A MILLION.

You were a midwife, the discipline you practiced till 1986 when you retired from active service. I recalled how you strived to have your Midwifery Grade 1 training at the Oba Ademola Maternity Hospital, Abeokuta shortly after our father died. I learnt quite a lot about Midwifery from your textbooks especially Myles Textbook for Midwives. I sat with you when writing your casebook, a very tasking exercise required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria for certification as a midwife. I subtly during those years have come to love midwifery practice. I eventually trained as a nurse and my midwifery training was a walkover for me. Today, Maternal and Child Health Nursing is one of my teaching subjects at the University level.  

Thank you for seeing us through marriage, Maami. All within two years, we all got married and were almost splitting you into four as we were having our babies one after the other as close as one day in between. A lucky and blessed woman indeed! Thank you for your support through my undergraduate education in the Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan. You also keenly watched me obtained my Master and Doctoral degrees in Education and Nursing respectively. Maami, it was because you were where God positioned you that the four of us were able to record these success stories.   

Maami was very straight forward person, God fearing with integrity. You always talk about the Good Shepherd who appeared to you in your dream. How He carried you in His arm with the four of us on His bosom and gently led you with your young even according to the Scriptures (Is 40: 10 - ) Maami was a special one in the hand of God, while failure existed, she succeeded, where fear existed, she was confident, courageous and strong. You left us a legacy to be hard working and God-fearing.

All of us with our children rise up to call you BLESSED.

Maami sleep well until the resurrection day when we meet to part no more

Ma sun olufe, ko sima simi

Sin mi’le aiya Olugbala re

A fe o, sugbon Jesu fe o ju

Sun re, Maami e sun re   

Your daughter,

Christiana Olanrewaju Adunni Sowunmi