Four days ago, the world celebrated International Women’s Day. What a memorial day that was! In honour of that special day, I wrote two articles to celebrate women all around the world. (You can read both articles here and here).
But do we by any means mean that only one day would suffice to celebrate women? No, not at all,
Women are to be celebrated every day. Without women, our civilisation will be ashes, our societies would crumble, and there would be no legacy to pass on to future generations. Women are the cement that hold the fabrics of society in place.
See, the truth is, I am lucky to have many amazing women in my life. But today, I want to write about four of them and the attributes that make them truly special.
Each time I look at how things have turned out, I am all the more grateful for the privilege
i. My darling wife, @evashinen:
I call her my sweet girl.
I met her at the university when she was only nineteen. Over time, we connected, and our hearts' impulses drew us closer. Our friendship blossomed into a relationship at a time we were over 350km apart. Apparently, distance is no barrier we fall in love. We got married in a little over a year ago, surrounded by our families and friends.
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Love is a beautiful thing
Tosin is the most amazing woman. Young but determined. Beautiful and smart. Criss-crossed two careers already. She started out as an intern teacher, nurturing young talents. She then had the opportunity to work as a journalist, anchouring early morning breakfast and other premium shows on TV and radio. She’s interviewed a bucket-full of VIPs, including Nigeria’s current President’s (Muhammadu Buhari) spokesman, Mr. Femi Adeshina. Now, she is out to be one of the Nigeria’s top female bankers, increasing financial inclusion for women and other critical demographics! She’s so smart and blessed, and she has a snack for figures!
This was our first ever picture together after we started dating
She’s had to endure some temporary set-back due to some administrative lapses that arose from her putting to birth, but even that, is not deterring her, she marches on, like an amazon! She is the kind of partner you want on team when deadlines are approaching. An absolute goal-getter; she gives her all to her works.
She is also an amazing mother to our son.
Seven months ago, we welcomed our first child, an amazing bundle of joy, Ireoluwatomide. How I amazed at how graciously she has mastered the
ii. My Mum:
My mum the strongest woman I know. Nothing breaks her. No matter what life throws at her, she stands resolute. When life throws her lemons, she makes lemonade out of them. Her dad’s death at an early age made growing up quite difficult. Five decades ago, and even until now, in Nigeria, losing your dad at such an early age like she did, was/is one of the worst things that could have to you.
Mum and my second mum
Mum had a troubled marriage. She didn’t deserve all the traumas she went through. But you see, life is one guess we can never be completely right about. And one wrong guess often costs so more. Although we grew up in a quite dysfunctional home, mum did her best to ensure we turned out right. What a superb job she did!
Mum has always been my/our greatest cheerleader. She has such an incurable optimistic spirit. It was from her I took my passion for public service, seeing others get better and building a society that works for everyone.
We call her, Iya Ibeji. Nations call her ‘Blessed”.
iii. My sister, Kehinde:
You see, people say I took after her the most in the family. Growing up, Sister Kenny (like I fondly call her) was one of my biggest influences.
Luckily for me, I attended the same high school she graduated from. One of the things that did for me was that people expected me to match her record, to smash the grades and be as smart as she was. Lol. That was a difficult thing to do.
As my only sister, I have seen her do great things, in spite of the many challenging environment she grew up in. She left home at sixteen after high school to start fending for herself, she took up a vocational job and would even send money home for our upkeep. She was always on her toes, and on the watch for me and my siblings.
My darling only sister, she has a heart of gold
A few years ago, she rose to a top executive in a leading telecoms firm in Nigeria but after she got married, she had to resign from the juicy job to relocate to be with her husband and have more time for her new family. Having to sacrifice the perks and promises of such a glittering career to raise a family was unfair. This is one of the sacrifices women make.
But you see, my sister is a fighter. She may have lost three years of her career raising a family, she bounced back, pursued a new dream and got her career back on track. She recently completed a Master’s degree and is back up career-wise. Today, she’s living the dream. I am truly proud of her. She is a hero to her husband and her three amazing daughters.
In the spirit of the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day Celebration which was “Press for Progress”, we must do more to ensure that other women are not discriminated against because they choose to raise a family alongside their career.
iv. My big cousin and second mum:
Aunty Bisi is my eldest cousin, she is also like my second mum. She was to us what every little child in the neighbourhood wanted. She oozes love, confidence and a genuine interest in others.
Every time home was hot and unbearable during to the many crisis we faced growing up, it was in her home in Surulere, Lagos, we ran to for succor. Her doors were and are always open.
My second mum
She treated everyone with respect, her home was home to everyone, without discrimination. Aha, I always enjoyed her delicious meals too. She has a very special way of calling my name “Idowu”.
Before I got married, I always had a dream. During our courtship, I made sure I and my then finance (now my wife) resolved to build our home into a haven for our children, and people around us. That desire rubbed off on me from my big cousin and second mum, Alhaja Bisi.
My three angels; second mum, mum, and my sis
v. My classmate turned sister, Ese:
Ese and I were classmates at the university. We became friends in our second year in the lead up to a mathematics examination. Our friendship endured beyond university. More than five years after graduation, Ese has grown from been friend to being a sister.
My friend turned-sister, Ese, and I
Ese is an amazing and courageous woman. She decided early she wanted to specialize on public health to strengthen Nigeria’s health facilities… That’s exactly what she is doing today. She works in the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, helping to find solution to various public health issues confronting Nigeria.
Ese is single and available. She’s homely, a good cook, kind-heart and a loyal friend. She’s the kind of woman every good father would wish for his son. Blessed is the man who would win Ese’s heart for keep!
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Image credit: Our family album
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To all the women out there who make life beautiful for everyone, we appreciate your labour of love. Thanks for making our lives beautiful. God bless you.
This post is my entry for Celebrate International Women's Day with a 40 STEEM Giveaway by @beanz. I am hopeful it would be value for your time. Thanks for taking time to read through. I am also open to your feedbacks in the comment section. Cheers
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Good women are to be celebrated.The best thing a man owes the wife is to take good care of the wife. But my question is when you marry a wrong woman what do you owe her? Thank God for your darling wife I can see the true love in both eyes.
Wow. . . I felt every word in this piece. Thanks for celebrating us. I'm proud of you darling @idowu-kunlere