TRIBUTE TO MY BEAUTIFUL RARE GEM
Oh Oh Death! Where is thy sting?!! Mummy why? Why did u have to leave us like this? why now? why?!! Achalugo Nwanyi! Ijele Nwanyi!! Odoziaku!! Mama mu Oma! Obi diya!! My Sweetest Mum!! You did not have to die, not like this. Your death has been devastating to say the least. I wish i could twist the timeline to save you, because i felt such a deep helplessness. Vanity upon vanity, all is vanity! This Life is so worthless and meaningless. I have never really understood the true concept of death, until this day. I cannot believe am writing this tribute to you mummy. I always thought a day like this would NEVER come, how naive of me. Oh God! you were my everything. I still really wish and pray that i would wake up one day and all these will be a dream and mirage. This tribute will never be enough to show and tell the enormous virtues and blessings you bestowed on anyone that came across you.
Mother you were the truest, dearest, more than a mother to me.
You were a precious gift from God, so much beauty, grace, love and patience you possessed. You touched my heart and thousands of others, in so many ways, your strength and smile even on dark days made me realize i have an angel beside me. Personally, you were my foremost advocate and I would miss your guarantees and the enormous confidence you had in me.
You were the pillar of this family, a rare embodiment of what a mother, really is. Mummy, you were our biggest critic and yet our biggest cheerer, the fireplace of this family: the key focal point, constantly providing support, warmth, continuous love and understanding. You would always correct us when we faltered, always doing so lovingly; pushing us to be our best and assuring us at the same time that we were better than we gave ourselves credit for. My mom was a special woman, the pillar on which our family rests on and the glue that has kept and continues keeping us together. She is the woman behind the successes of the husband and us, the children. She is the one we ran to for support and protection when dad was mad at us, she is the first one to yell at us when we are wrong and the first one always encouraging and pushing us to be better. We gave her many nicknames relating to different things and one of them was “report card”. Growing up, it was an unwritten rule in our house that if you didn’t want dad knowing your business, then mom was better off not knowing either because once she knew, our dad automatically knew too.
Mummy, you are a wife that would not be forgotten; a mother that would be immensely missed and never be replaced by any means; a sister that can never be swapped, a friend to remember and a woman of God in all ramifications. Your memory is one to be cherished forever! You loved our dad and us so dearly to the point that while still on your sick bed, you still bothered about our upkeep. Mummy showed us that love is a sacrifice. You showed us, not told us. Your life was a sacrifice in every particular detail. Moreover, love did not fail you. Within a day of your death, our family house had received guests ranging in thousands. You touched so many lives with your gentle and simple acts of affection.
Mummy, you took your responsibilities so seriously to each of one us your children -and we are quite a number alongside several relatives that grew with us. You practically laid down your life for us. You taught us that love never fails and this was mostly through your actions and activities. It is because of you, sweet mummy, that practicing love to anyone, i meet and preaching about love as the ultimate law of God is the centre and the driving force of all my acquaintances. You taught us faith, faith in God, through Jesus Christ and also personal responsibility and hard work. It was essentially through you that I learnt that faith without work is empty. This has become one of the cardinal points of my own Christian life. Along with faith, you navigated us through the curve of the efficacy of prayers. You would fast for days and go on retreats, crusades praying for us and every time we talk on the phone, she always ends the conversation with prayers in the form of blessings. You never ended any conversation or message to me without telling me how much you loved me. It was always the best feeling ever!!.
My mother stood for peace and always played the role of a reconciler. Her pursuit of love and peace with all people never failed her. she has left an illustrious example and high standard of Christian life behind. She was a forgiving person who did not maintain any grudge against anybody. She took no account of evil. She was a mother and a teacher in a million who loved all the Children and students she taught. A literary giant keenly because not only was she towering over a lot of literary heads, but also she pushed herself to the brink to succeed, imbibed and touched the lives of so many people especially her students through her books, poetry and dramas. This was evident through the hundreds of phone calls and messages on social media i receive on a daily basis, extolling your numerous virtues and how greatly you have imparted on their lives. "Mumisco", you have been a tremendous blessing, legend and role model to this family, friends, peers, students, associates and to this world, generally. I always pray i will have such an overwhelming positive influence on people one day.
I could go on and on with the inexhaustible beautiful experiences things to say about you but I can't end without saying we LOVE and MISS you so so much mummy and we are so grateful for all you did for us and taught us. I know I am not perfect but you have loved and supported all of us through our trying times. I pray that GOD in his infinite love and mercy, bless your beautiful soul. Lord! This is my humble request, please. Your glorious transition is the succor that fills up the huge vacuum you have left. I LOVE YOU SO SO MUCH MUMMY, more than you could ever imagine. May your gentle beautiful soul continue to rest in perfect peace, and I know I will see you again, where we will meet to part no more!
Always yours,
CHINUA
