Like an Eagle

I am a big believer that when life throws challenges your way, it is only in preparation for something great. One of my favourite quotes is "You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only option you have" 

This is my friend Nneoma 's story, we were in the University together and afterwards attended same Law school in Abuja. She met the love of her life just before law school and after a few months of courting, they got married.  

She married the most amazing guy and Omy like we called her was considered one of the luckiest.  She loved her husband passionately and everyone knew that Kelechi was Nneoma's heartbeat. I used to say to her, " Omy you love this guy too much" and she never denied it.

Two years plus into their marriage, Kelechi went on a journey of no return, he traveled to a nearby town and never made it back home. When this happened, I think Omy had just turned twenty six and had two daughters below the ages of three; moreso, they were waiting for the right time to check if their second baby had sickle cell anaemia.

All the genotype tests Omy ever took showed she was AA but all of a sudden with some months into her second pregnancy, Omy was told that she was AS. kelechi as a medical doctor always knew that he was AS.

Omy had to receive that news alone that her precious beautiful daughter Didi was a sickler and so began Omy's journey as a widow, single parent and mother of a child suffering with sickle cell. Just one person!

Omy was a real daddy's little baby and  she was pampered silly by her parents, Her father was a federal law maker and her mother, a judge. She had everything and travelled abroad all the time like it was her backyard.

It's so amazing that she has grown to be the Eagle that she is today, soaring high above the tragedies that had come her way.  She makes widowhood enviable, and she's been helping Didi beat sickle cell blue black and yellow.

Today, I salute a legal luminary, an excellent home maker, a dedicated mother and a Jesus girl from way back. She makes other widows sit up and find a purpose for their present situations.

Omy does not take no for an answer, she works hard for what she wants and is totally fearless.  She sleeps through storms and dances in the rain.  Omy knows exactly what she wants, she wanted to remember Kelechi's handsome face and not the mutilated one.

She carried on and is still soaring at forty. If  you have given up because of one or a few issues of life, please think of my friend Omy. She goes home from the hospital after weeks of watching her little daughter go through pains, dresses up gorgeously and goes to church. She shows up and makes a difference!

Omy is forty today and this is my own little way of saying, Happy birthday to you Omy, I love you like kilode. God will take you to unexpected heights. And His face will coninually shine upon you!