Muna gi so.
For most of today, I kept thinking of the many things I should write to my best friend as she turns 26 today, and for every sentence, there’s a new one and a new one, and so I’d try to say it the best way I can.
Enwere m’ ezigbo nwanyị
Nọ nsọ ụlọ m’
She just dey scatter my head
I no go fit forget
You’ve always been like a song to me, and your friendship reads like a melody, one that I can close my eyes to and weave through the winds effortlessly. My friend, for 26, I have sweet things to say.
You are such a bag of beauties, and one that wonder keeps emerging from. It is the loud uncontrollable laughter when you don’t pronounce a word right, and I silently die when you know it’s coming, It’s our million inside jokes, and how you just make a face and I know the particular one. It’s how I laugh when I see your hand postures when I take pictures of you, it’s your frustration when I ask you to smile when the last smile expires, It’s your face when I am not sure which mop to use for what part of the house. It’s a million little things that make this friendship what it is.
What has friendship with you taught me? That when you fall in love, you are not looking for finished work of sculpture, just great blocks of marble. I am thankful that we are in love with who we are now, as we are excited about our future and what God is forging us into.
You know something I’ve been thinking about all through Easter. On the last night when Jesus Christ was here on the earth. When he wanted to show his disciples something palpable and physical, and something concrete as a way for them/us to always remember what love is, he washed feet. And I am super humbled that we’ve made this our template.
Your love is washing. And that can be a grueling process the way you say no and stand firmly by it, and not make compromises in making sure that I truly become what God has designed me for. Your love is not just tolerant. it’s engaging, it’s not just saying “everything’s fine”, it engages me. I am humbled to walk with someone who truly sees me, and you do see me.
Friendship with you has been a mirror to truly see myself in ways I can’t escape. Iron sharpens iron, and our friendship sharpens, and this is true of us; pointing out each other’s flaws and faults in ways that say “hey, you are my friend, I would never do anything to hurt you, and if this hurts, it’s in (y)our best interest.” And as the sparks fly, and the heat rises to insane levels, It’s trust in your heart that makes our friendship come alive for me.
Hard things feel lighter knowing that you are here. This will always be a journey, and I want to keep going on this journey with you. My friend, my good friend. Thank you for choosing me daily, the world is safer with you in it.
You are getting better at your dry jokes, run me my coins. I will keep making you native Jollof, and will not start a series without asking permission first even if you started this first, now I can’t complete the blacklist anymore. I want to iron your Sunday best, and serve you every day until I don’t have to think of this receding hairline.
Here’s my prayer. 26 yields its increase unto you, you are a city on a hill, and men are drawn to the light of God’s love because of you. God has lavished his love on you since the beginning of time and his thoughts for you are always good, you can bank on it. How is it that he has loved you since the beginning of time, and called you his own before the foundations of the world? Nations will come to your light; kings will come to the brightness of your sunrise. You are loved Nwannem.
Something I’ve said to myself often this week is “…for God so loved Charles, he gave him his best twice.” And it’s such a huge honor to be part of God’s plan for your future, and to walk side by side with you? that’s heaven.
Muna gi so.
