Hello Everyone, I hope you have all been well since the last time I wrote. I bet you thought I abandoned you all. Well I did not, I may not have written in two months, which is the longest spell ever for me here, but I did think of writing all the time. Life was happening, and I chose to embrace it fully. Most of you know this but for those who do not, I married my lover, I moved houses (which has got to be the worst stress ever), I absconded from the piping heat of Lagos to rest and ate my weight in food. Now I am back, fatter, happier, carrying memories to last a lifetime and writing with a dull headache in the name of intermittent fasting. I am trying the 20hour fast, 4 hour eating window for two months. Pray for me o.
I cannot believe it has been one year since I woke up one day and wrote…
I cannot remember what prompted me but I knew that day that I needed to write my truth and share as many stories from anyone who was bold enough to share, and many of you were. I admit I strong armed a few of you into sharing sha, and that was fun. It is my hope that in talking about your journey, you found some peace just as many who received it did. What I have enjoyed most about writing here is people reaching out to say they feel less alone, I also now recognize some symptoms with women better and listen to my body more. I am way more empathetic as well in dealing with the women around me, I was truly shocked by some of the stories shared from everyday women in my life, Lord have mercy. By the way, I fully intend to resume harassing people to share shortly so if I have not reached you yet, just know YOU are next…I even want to name you all so I can hold YOU accountable sef but let me behave today.
Today is about being grateful.
I am grateful for the gift of words, that let us express our hopes, fears, anxiety, struggles, compassion and more….and by so doing, let others find healing and peace.
I am grateful for vulnerability. I used to think this word was negative, not anymore, I am finding that being vulnerable is brave. To let others in, to speak from a place of hurt and uncertainty, not knowing what lies ahead but living in this moment, that is bravery.
I am grateful for sisterhood and new friendships forged because I shared and because you shared as well.
I am grateful for all of you who read weekly and subscribed too. I do not focus on numbers and likes, I promised myself that if only one person read the post and felt better for it, my work was done…but we have a few hundreds of you reading each post and even those who jump hurdles to comment because substack is shitty like that... That is a blessing and a responsibility all at once. I am humbled.
I am grateful for the learnings. I feel ready to become an OB/GYN at this point with all the things I have heard. I also learnt from the mistakes I made, editing even and the important of seeking consent for each story.
I have so much more I am grateful for but this was a Hi, BYE piece. A placeholder to remind myself that somehow I stuck to this for one whole year. Please clap for me, LOL. On that note, I shall drop off with some unsolicited advice, Today is a good day to schedule a check in with your gynae even if you are feeling 1000%. Today is a good day to read up egg freezing because options are good and God gave us this option so faith and works can move together. Today is a good day to download an app to track your cycles, so you can catch any anomalies way ahead. Finally, today is a good day to ask someone how they really are, and do not accept “I am fine”, probe, listen and if there is nothing there, that is good news too.
Let me go and drink water, I am in the 19th hour of this fast and thinking I should just eat now because as I said before, Ghost no get shape. That will be all, toddles.
She is baaaackk!!! We missed you!🤗
Grateful for continuous learning here! ❤️