Twenty Four and Thankful

I used to feel like I am not the typical Adanne. Boom. One day it went off. Now I feel like a mother hen.

I also remember when I used to worry that I did not feel like an adult. A friend told me it would come. Now, the responsibility I feel for my life and how it turns out is overwhelming.

I also remember last year, wishing a friend a happy birthday when he turned 25. He replied, “I’m getting old, Anita.” He was sober.

Today, I turn 24. I used to feel young and great. Haha. Now I feel I am getting old. Sometimes I blame medical school. That lady took a lot of our time/youth.

Nonetheless, I am glad about how I turned out in the end. I needed the time (7 years) to properly figure out the rest of my life.

May Day. The Platform Nigeria. Covenant Christian Centre, Iganmu, Lagos.

Amidst the varied emotions I feel today the most dominant is gratefulness.

I made a list of a few things I am grateful for. I hope that by reading my list you can find things in your life you are grateful for. They are the littlest things you may take for granted.

1. Life

From this stems our dreams, hopes, and aspirations.

Regardless of how things are, you are alive. Thank God for this, the rest will follow.

2. Health

As a doctor, I get to interact with persons at different levels of heath. When I am at my optimum, which I have been in a long while, I know how much blessing it is.

I would not go into the cost of drugs, consultation, tests, and procedures. I would not talk about the stress being sick and obtaining appropriate care in a health facility impacts on the sick individual and their loved ones. If you have been saved from these, thank God. Are you presently going through these? Thank God for life, the rest will follow.

3. Family

I am grateful for every member of my family (nuclear and extended).

They are God’s choicest gift to me. My mum, dad, sister, brothers, cousins, aunties, uncles; each one of them have played pivotal roles at different points in my life.

Recently, I have been on the road a lot and I have lost count of the number of times I visited a new city and had a relative with arms and heart wide open to receive me.  My friends tease me, “Anita,  you have family everywhere. You cannot be stranded.” I am beginning to believe them.

3. Friends

They say friends are the family we make for ourselves. Good friends colour your world and can bring some sparkle on a dark day.

Some days I feel friendless, some other days I’m overwhelmed with love and affection from friends.

I am learning to remember that my friends are mostly only a call or chat away whenever I need them like I am for them whenever they need me. I appreciate each one of you.

4. A roof over my head

I do not take this lightly.  A certain day, while returning from church, I walked past two men who were sleeping under a trailer parked by the roadside. If they had a home, you bet they would not be seeking rest under such harsh and accident-prone environment. We take a lot of blessings for granted. Please do not.

5. Food to eat

Do you remember this rhyme we sang as kids?

“Some have food but cannot eat

Some can eat but have no food

We have food and we can eat

Glory be to God. Amen.”

6. Clothing

Closely following food is clothing. Another of life’s necessity.

We may not have all our wants but thank God we have all of our needs.

7. The Blog

My living legacy. And by extension, you reading this. Thank you for helping to make this a success.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” – Melody Beattie 

What/Who are you thankful for? Please leave a thought/prayer for me.

*Adanne – Mother’s first daughter.

Love,

Annie.