Daddy's Tribute to his Late Mom 'My Grand Ma'

Love, Inspiration, Memories.....

Tribute to my mother OTUNBA (MRS) MOJOYINOLA ASHABI SOFOWORA. (OTUN IYALAJE & OTUNBA YEYELORO OF AGO-IWOYE) as she was laid to rest on SATURDAY 17th NOVEMBER, 2012.

MY MOTHER

On Monday 13th August, 2012, Dimeji and I stood by your bedsid

e at LASUTH watching helplessly as you struggled not to leave us. We too did not want you to leave us but it was totally beyond our power, the one that is mightiest than all was ready to take you, to end the struggle, the suffering and give you permanent peace.
The night before you went into coma, I was with you, around 8:30 pm you said you wanted to go and sleep and gave me two wrappers that I should cover you with the wrappers. I covered you with one and turned back to leave but you said I should also cover you with the second wrapper, jokingly I asked if you wanted two wrappers to sleep and you said yes. I didn't immediately know you were bidding Dimeji and myself goodbye and made me perform a final act on behalf of the two of us.

You lived a good life, a life of hard work, a life of achievements, a fulfilled life in all ramification.

You "rose" from a roadside cooked beans seller, to a school food vendor ( I was helping

...but a dream

She laid there peacefully but as still as a rock. I leaned forward to take a closer look at the face that was once warm and full of life; the lips that smiled and words came out from; the eyes that moved and saw things; the ear that once picked up every sound around. My mind went far and I stared even more and said to myself, ''Someday, when I'm veeery old and grey, I'm going to find myself in this same position.'' *Sigh
Its inevitable, a fact we all know but yet we live each day like we are oblivious to the obvious.


Remember the Rhyme?
Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

We all sang this rhyme over and over s kids never really thinking of it's true meaning.
I checked it out and discovered what each line meant.

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream... The stream is a metaphor for human life; the boat being one's self or a group with which one identifies with. Rowing is the effort we make towards achieving our goals and life dreams; rowing gently is to be content with life, and not demand more from it than we really need. Although, it seems what most people are doing is to seemingly be committed to rowing upstream against the current wanting to be what they are not, forcefully acquiring all they can even at the detriment of those in the boat.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, Life is but a dream... This line gives us a new perspective on things: if life is a dream, what is there that is truly solid or lasting that we can hold onto and say, “this is mine—I did this”? There isn’t anything really permanent but an endless flow of change and endless passing back into nothingness. It is simply the way things are.

Life is never a smooth sail but we keep paddling not complaining but fighting every struggle, daring every adventure, fulfilling our purpose, enjoying and loving every bit of it. Life is what we call it; you can tag it with whatever metaphoric title or phrase but be sure that's what you want your life to because we live what we see. So, if you need to adjust your lens and focus on the positives and beauty of life then please do.

It is said that love is stronger that death and what that simply means is that even when the individual is no more, the memories shared, beautiful moments, sacrifices, laughter and selflessness lives on. It remains tattooed boldly upon your heart and forever lingers.


Write up inspired by my late grandmother ''Otunba (Mrs) Ashabi Sofowora
Rest in Peace ma'am

PeaCe!