Phoenomenal Woman

Who sat and watched my not-so-infant-head, My Mother!

The woman who God made the custodian over my life as my mother is a Phenomenal Woman I am proud to be associated with. She has all the traits of the “typical African mother” no doubt but hers then comes in addition to certain peculiarities.

My mother constantly surprises me with her response and reaction to life’s situation. I am a unique daughter and she, being a phenomenal woman, we had our more than a fair share of friction – I felt misunderstood, I misunderstood her plus a little sprinkle of stubbornness – I am the child you would refer to as the one causing trouble. However, over and over again, through her and everyone in my family, I am constantly reminded that family will always have my back and I shall give just a few examples.

Mrs. Adeboye

I have a post on when I thought I was going to die, I became unwell, and even though my mum was/is dealing with her own health phase, she showed up for me every single time. We went everywhere together – doctor’s appointments, nutritionist consultations, operating waiting room, lab runs, everything and everywhere, she was there. It got to a time that it started to feel like she even took everything to heart even more than me and never for once did I see my mother show unbelief or look discouraged. She would always still wake up in the middle of the night to pray for all of us by name, she still does that till date. I keep hoping that I become as prayerful as she now and when i eventually have my own children.

Another time, because we did not understand each other, I felt like she did not believe in my “dream” to be a counsellor, she felt like I was not going about it the right way (she was actually right, I was not going about it the right way at all) and we had a ‘hall of fame’ friction that time. I took a job I was ill-prepared for, and I was fired! The shame that I fought with everyone to take up the job did not let me go back home for 2 months or even tell her that I was fired because I knew in my heart that I myself deserved the “I told you so” I was expecting to hear. When I eventually went back home, all my mum said was “you should have come sooner, and we would have started to look for another job”. Honestly, I would have found a way to rub the situation in my own face at the slightest opportunity, any regular human would have, and they would not have been wrong or totally unkind but this phenomenal woman did not and I can’t remember if she ever did till date!

I will be 28 in a few months, my initial plan was to be married at 23, (didn’t we all, laughing) but here I am single at almost 28 and I can say that I do not have the pressure to marry. Of course, my mother desires that I be married with children by now, as every mother desires but she is not consciously or unconsciously putting any pressure on me. One time a relationship happened, and it was looking alive, she was excited of course but something she said to me was “I am not chasing you and we are not begging anyone to marry you, so take your time and be sure that you are sure”. I do not know many mothers who would say that to their daughter at almost 28 o. Phenomenal woman!

The first time I gave my life to Christ was through my mother from our family Bible study. The woman I am today is largely because of how she raised me. I would have wished that we understood ourselves better when I was younger so she did not have to beat me as much, but I do not think I would have had it any other way. She raised me to never feel insecure or feel less than anyone, she raised me to think highly of myself. Of course, I suffered from low self-esteem for a while, but it was easy to be able to eventually find myself because I had the right foundation and values instilled in me.

There are other people who were participants in this my life’s story – my father (an incredible man himself) and my siblings however, on this Mothering Sunday, I choose to celebrate in particular this PHENOMENAL WOMAN I am proud to call my mother and publicly acknowledge some of the things she has done for me in the course of my time on earth.