A Little Life Update
A lot has happened since I last wrote here.
I don’t even know where to begin. I can’t believe my birthday passed without a word from me to me. OMG, a lot was happening simultaneously.
I didn’t even realise this sooner. I mean, I didn’t realise I hadn’t made a birthday post until I was drafting this over a month ago.
I had my birthday, I launched a book, and my man proposed. A day after, I was laid off from work, but that was just a very tiny fragment of the highlight.
I was so conflicted about what to write about for the next few weeks after then. The book, my birthday as usual, my proposal, or even the relationship itself.
Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!
I settled for none!
Now that we are here, maybe we can pick a bit of each. Shall we?
My birthday has since changed. No more blues, but this one was a tad different. I was going to launch my debut book. So we named her Love, Letters and Layovers. A birthday gift to myself.
My man had invited me out that evening, but yes, I knew what was going to happen. I just didn’t know the extent, concept, or whatever there is to it.
Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised.
And of course, I said yes!!!
I finally found someone rugged enough to keep up with my nuances. Softest man I have known. Calmest love I have known, and definitely the easiest yes I have said.
Of all the versions of my life that could have existed, I am strangely grateful for the one in which I met him. So I will say yes a thousand times if he asks.
It was a beautiful day. My birthday, my book launch, and an engagement to the man of my dreams. It finally felt like things were working in my favour.
I asked for a life where, when all things are going wrong, I could still find a reason to smile, and I had (still have) just that.
Because tell me why my email was revoked and I was removed from all work groups without communication, and my day just went on like nothing happened.
I realised I didn’t have the attention to give to it. I had a very perfect moment going on for me, and no capitalism was going to jeopardise it.
To be clear, I got laid off from work the next day.
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Let me shed a little context.
They said something about performance, which I did find out about a day or two later because I was terminated at around 12:14 a.m. in the morning. So I didn’t get a letter or anything, and no queries had been sent before.
Things were supposedly fine. A spreadsheet had been shared with me to populate a day before. I missed a detail, someone got angry and dropped a comment at 10:30 p.m., which of course I didn’t see. Their anger and a termination were finalised.
I agree, a few things might have accumulated, but that was what played out, especially since no query had been given prior, and they couldn’t even wait till morning.
They had to send the termination letter to my personal email because they couldn’t even wait for me to access my work email.
That was not something I spent a lot of my time analysing, so we will move on now, okay?
My birthday was exactly three months ago, and I had no plans.
Well, I knew my man had plans, so there was really no need for me to worry about not having any.
He was distracted for most of the day, which was unusual, especially because he had taken a leave from work. Even when he picked me up, he sounded nervous.
Well, i was ready for whatever the day has to offer.
New dress, new veil, new shoes and bag. Makeup on fleek. And yet, I was still surprised. Definitely one of the happiest days ever.
I had also been running promotions for my book, which was launching that day, and thankfully, that went really well too. So, that was how we launched Love, Letters and Layovers and, apparently, version Forever is the deal.
Three months later, he brought his family to accompany him to pluck the flower in my father’s compound. It’s the grandest thing I have ever done and the surest decision I have ever made.
Since I met him, it’s always him, because it was with him I felt the safest. He treats me like God handed me to him personally, very very careful with my heart so hell yes!
And while all of these beautiful things have been playing out, some major setbacks and disappointments have happened too. In fact, they have been rather consistent.
Sometimes, when these things happen side by side, you can’t help but wonder what exactly is going on.
What have I done? What could I have done differently? Is evil eye really that powerful?
But I stand ten toes down in my belief in the oneness of Allah and in the fact that nothing passes by without His knowledge.
So, even when life is confusing and the highs and lows seem to be happening at the same time, I choose to trust Him.
Maybe that’s the real story of this season: beautiful things happening, difficult things happening, sometimes all at once, and learning to hold both without losing myself in either.
In all of these phases and its challenges, I’m hopeful victory is mine.
Teniola
As always🥰❤️
