Adventures & Moments

Today, I will be sharing the top 5 lessons I learned from my Dad over the years and I have to say that this one month has been a month of reflection for me. There are so many beautiful lessons to learn from my Dad but I think these 5 stand out for me and I see that I have also implemented most of these lessons in my daily life (either knowingly or unknowingly). So, without further ado, here are my top 5 lessons from my dad.

1. Contentment - This has to be my number one lesson. Growing up there is this inside joke that my dad says "ko si ninu budget" (which means that, at that moment whatever you are requesting for, you may not get a yes. It's either you wait or you remove it for now if it's not important). My dad was somebody who believed strongly in living within your means and appreciating what you have at the moment. This was a big lesson that I learned as a young girl that you may not always get what you want but you will always get what you need (if that makes sense). Honestly, I have to say that this has stayed with me over the years, even till now. I'm so grateful for this lesson because it has been a game-changer in how I deal with life and everything as a whole.

2. Patience - Another great lesson I learned from my Dad is being patient. My Dad was so patient about EVERYTHING. He was extremely patient when it comes to dealing with people, patient in decision making, patient in making comments, and patient in judging a situation. That alone is a virtue that not so many people have. I have to say that inasmuch as I think I learned this great lesson from him, I'm still a work in progress in that department because if you take my patience for granted, Sis, imma throw you away and that's on a periodt (Jokes apart though, I feel that, the older we get, the more patient we become and we also sort of let go of a lot of things that we would normally react to at the tip of the finger). But all in all, patience is a virtue and I definitely learned that from my Papa.

3. Appreciating the gift and value of a family - One sweet thing about my Dad is how much he loved us all. He always had a listening ear no matter how busy he was. He believed so much in building a Godly and united family. He will always pray for all of us daily during his quiet time and he had nicknames for everybody. Mine is Awemo (ah-we-moo). He was a complete family man and I have to say that I learned about the importance and value of appreciating your loved ones right from "home".

4. We rise by lifting Others - This was my Dad. No matter the situation or position he finds himself in, he will always lend a helping hand as much as he can. Most of the good memories I have of my Dad is how he helped a lot of his friends' kids, church members, his nieces and nephews including myself secure admission into Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), where he was a lecturer for over 30 years. As long as it is something within his reach, he will definitely help you. 

I remember sometime around March this year, somebody reached out to me on Instagram to thank me for all my blog posts about my life in Sweden and how much it has helped her to understand a lot of things about Sweden before moving. Let me just say that you don't need to be in any top position to lend a helping hand to people. What about all those job postings you have been hoarding and not sharing with your friends? #JustSaying. This was a great lesson I definitely learned from my Dad and I have to say that I'm extremely proud of all the great work that he did while he was here with us.

5. Dress the Way you want to be Addressed - Oh my Dad was very fashionable. If he was going to wear a native traditional attire, you can be sure that it will be tailored to perfection. If it's English, then he is slaying that too. Growing up, I always loved his fashion sense. Everything was always on check but of course, it has to be in "iwontunwonsi" (moderacy was his watchword). If you know me well, you know I love to look good and feel good always. Let's just say, #IGotItFromMyPapa. I think that says it all. 

These are the top five lessons I learned from my Dad and I'm so grateful for all these lessons and even many more that I've stuck with me over the years. It's sad that he is no longer here with us and we cannot create memories together again but I'm sure he is resting right now and watching over us all.

This life is so fickle and no one knows the time or moment that we will die BUT while we are still here, let's show love as much as we can to those that matter.  I'm dedicating my 100th article to my Prof Daddy, Rest Well Daddy, till we meet again

We created a memorial website here for him and I have been there a couple of times to read so many beautiful and inspiring stories that friends and family members I've shared with us. What a legend he was #GratefulForAWellSpentLife. Until next time, remember to create beautiful memories with your loved ones while they are still here...💋