🎶Who sat and watched my infant's head🎶
🎶When sleeping on my cradle bed,🎶
🎶And tears of sweet affection shed?🎶
🎶My Mother.🎶
I grew up singing this poem as often as I could to my mum. She holds a special place in my heart, not out of obligation but because it was duly worked for and earned through her constant love and care.
I would be lying if I said my mum never shouted at me or corrected me but she did all that with love. She always tells me that whatever I think I know I am doing, she knows, and if I am gearing towards the wrong direction she's there to direct her.
The most important woman in my life is my mum and her name is Mrs. Ogoke Ijeoma, married from Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State, Nigeria. She married my wonderful dad who in his way is very important and detrimental to my life but for the sake of the contest, I choose to talk about my mum instead.
Mum gave birth to 4 children for dad, 3 girls, and a boy, and I am the second child and daughter amongst my siblings.
My elder sister has completed her first degree and service year, I am following in that direction but my service year will be duly completed by January 2023. My younger ones have gotten admission to study Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Engineering respectively.
The importance of my mum for the sake of love can be over-emphasized. She loved and cherished me before I could differentiate right from wrong. Growing up, I threw teenage tantrums at her which she accepted with open arms. She corrected me with one arm and spoiled me with another hand.
Grooming a girl child can be tasking given the kind of society we are in right now. We are prone to being victims of sexual harassment, body shaming, and cyberbullying. Even with the society that existed and still exists, my mum was able to raise decent, hardworking, strong women (my sisters and I).
Right now, I am battling with a lot of memories I have had with my mum. We have had the best of them, both good and bad, fire and ice, sugar and spice. The fortunate thing about it is that despite those experiences she cherishes and adores me and her other children.
Sometimes we come back from work together and every time, she would buy whatever I ask for but ordinarily, she wouldn't buy it because she will claim that she forgot with a smiley face.
There was this one time I disturbed her to buy me Shawarma but she kept insisting that she didn't have money. I then offered to buy with my money so she stopped at the shawarma spot. I ordered the shawarma and when it was time to pay, I told her to borrow me some cash to pay for it that I would pay her back.
Funny enough, she quickly gave me the money under the impression that I would pay it back. After paying and we collected my order, I quickly reminded her of her initial claim of not having money earlier and that I don't intend on paying her back. She laughed while acknowledging that I tricked her.
Another memory I cannot forget in a hurry was when I wanted to go for service. She wanted me to apply for relocation t serve in Abuja and I wanted to relocate to another state. It was a thing of argument because she wanted me to be close to her. It wasn't a heated argument per se but then she prayed that I would change my mind.
Fortunately, my posting letter came out and I was posted to Abuja. You can not imagine the joy on her face. I did not bother applying for a relocation because it was a clear win and deep down, I didn't want to stay far away from her.
I could go on and on about all the memories we've shared, some in pictures, good and bad. I would gradually turn it into a novel which I can't afford the time to do so.
In all, I have learned the best from my mum, especially how to survive through thick and thin. I love her and she loves me more and by me most and she remains the most important person in my life.
