“You deserve to be happy, Mama,” she said, calling me the pet name she coined for me from the first time we met.
Most people do not believe that I have known Christabel for less than five years and even I don’t feel that way.
Christabel is a sister in every true sense of the word and her handling of the occasion of my 45th birthday is no less different. In fact, it is much more. She went all out, and raised the bars.
First and in order to provide context, I had, a few weeks earlier on, cancelled plans that I had made to have a 45th birthday party coupled with the long overdue celebration of my doctorate degree which I bagged in 2020 and landmark of 20 years at the bar.
Rewind to sometime in March, I had informed few friends about my intention to celebrate the triple landmark events of my life come the 6th of May, 2021. The events are:
- My 45th birthday.
- My 20th year at the Nigerian Bar.
- Bagging a Ph.D. degree in Business Administration.
I was also more sentimental about the need to mark this birthday because it also falls on the day I was born, a Thursday. However, all that changed by the first week of April when life called in its agents of reality check. The knocks were few but loud and hard enough to result in a mental resetting that made me backpedal on my plans for a birthday bash. Among those knocks was my account balance that was not balanced at all. So I ate the humble pie, and did the needful. I called everyone that was invited, and cancelled the plans.
I felt bad about cancelling but as God will have it, most of the invited guests were very understanding and empathetic and they let the matter rest.
I thought that was it, but this girl thought different.
Unknown to me, she adjusted the plans and went on to schedule a photo-shoot for my birthday. On her own, she made arrangements for photography, decorations, make-up, music and all the hype that went with it. Top on the list of all her efforts is, perhaps, the wardrobe for the photo-shoot. Christabel made, bought, and arranged all but one of the outfits. She arranged jewelry and accessories, too. Her charge to me (after several days of convincing me to have a photo-shoot with both words and prayers) was simple: “Just present yourself. No need to bring anything along.”
This beautiful soul had sleepless nights making the Ankara print skirt with transparent white top. She then ordered the striped gray shirt to re-make the Oprah Winfrey look. She bought the hair to achieve the complete look and a change of hair-dressing as well. If she had asked me what I preferred between having the photo-shoot and not having one , I would have preferred the latter…. If on another hand, the consideration was choice between the cash spent on photoshoot and the photoshoot, my choice would have been an easy one: the former.
But I have learnt to accept gifts for what they are, gifts. It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t up to it, it’s how she best chooses to celebrate me, so, content and grateful for being celebrated, I resigned myself to not only making it for the photo-shoot, but presenting my happiest self in order to ensure that it is successful.
I have looked at the pictures and videos over and over again and one thing resonates from it all; the beauty of friendship and the power of love. I say this because, unknown to you all, she went this far to bring some zest to my life in one of my lowest periods, while at the same time single-handedly planning her civil wedding in one country and a traditional plus church wedding in another country. At the same time, she’s moving houses, sitting for examinations, and still on the job hunt.
I feel completely overwhelmed by how much trouble she went to uplift my spirit while handling so much of her own personal challenges.
Thank you, Christabel.
Only God can thank you enough for me. You know I love you without question, and on top of that I pray God answers all your prayers. My biggest wish for you is that God keeps you happy always in your life, marriage, family, and career. You will never have cause to be sad. Your joy shall know no end in Jesus name. Amen.
I cannot complete this piece without a heartfelt gratitude to the Gbajabiamilas, Bimpe, the original paparazzi, and Toun, the makeover specialist.
Thank you all for using your talents and skills to make the photo-shoot a success. The ‘hyping’ alone sef! I still smile when I think of it.
However I thank you more for your love and care. You guys are beyond amazing. God bless you now and always.
BIRTHDAY PICTURES AND VIDEOS (CLICK THE LINK BELOW)
Birthday Pictures and Videos