Just thought I’d post this cuz I’ve had it saved as a draft for so long with no particular purpose 🙂

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To my dearest Timi,

You were born April 7th, 1999 in the city of Lagos, Nigeria. Your earliest travels went from Nigeria to the land of Canada, where your family struggled and persevered through unnaturally climate, finance struggles, and racism. But you made it; and here you are today.

Oluwatimilehin Kikelomo Adetula. You pampered child; God always had your back.

Look at the beautiful people that surround you: you have annoying friends, an education, jovial siblings, wonderful parents, and an abundance of love and support all around you. Be sure to hold them close.

 

“to be

soft

is

to be

powerful.”

-Rupi Kaur

Your close friends know you as loud, obnoxious and inelegant, yet the people outside your circle view you as a shy, quiet, introvert. But which are you Timi? Shall I reveal? You are a mixture of both, depending on appeal. You are afraid of judgement, so you cautiously reveal your personality in tidbits and steps, and this quality of yours makes you much more observant than the rest. You are sensitive and can see the emotions of others, their actions and feelings you take into account and story to memory. Your choice of quietness gives you the strength to respect and consider others, and your kindness an incredible influence on those who can’t seem to grasp it very well.

But beware my love on how you choose to observe, because if action isn’t taken in timeliness, you won’t receive what you deserve.

“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.”

-1 Corinthians 13: 1-8 (NIV)

Along with kindness, one of your greatest values is love, and it breaks your heart when you see all but the above. How can you be so kind to others Timi? “Because others have not been kind to me.” You tell me. What a brilliant trait, what an honourable thing to endow, but just how much tolerance are you willing to allow? People use you and abuse you, but somehow you still smile. I believe it’s your firm belief in unconditional love that makes all the pain seem so worthwhile.

The quote also reflects your faith, but how much of the bible do you actually follow through with? Many have seen you fumble, have seen you make mistakes, and the question always is, “Are you even serious about your faith?”. But you’re only taking baby steps for now, because eventually you’ll get there. Tell them your faith is defined by you, not anyone else; it’s the relationship you have with your creator, whom you kneel down to everyday in prayer.

“What is love? Love is playing every game like it is your last.”  

-Micheal Jordan

Basketball is your passion, your afds, your muse. Your blood, sweat, tears and emotions; all of it you use. This sport being one of the things that holds you together; making all your problems non existent. Nothing else matters when you’re on the courst, drenched in sweat, dribbling towards the hoop; back arched and head held high. Basketball to you is about more than the win, it’s about the zeal.

“I really cannot imagine never singing again.”

-Shania Twain

Singing is spiritual, it transposes you to another realm. When you close your eyes, peace and calm begin to overwhelm. Your voice is your solace and your salvation; promise me you’ll never let it go.

Milk and honey, a book of poetry which took you on a journey of hurting, loving, breaking, and healing; it reminded you of your pitiful self-loathing. How you let your past define you, how you let your feelings slide, how you allowed boys to use you that were an incredible waste of time. This book connected with you on an indescribable level, and help you cope when you were at your worst. I know how you have suffered, and I know the grief you have ensued. But take heart my child, and fret not, for the LORD your God will always be with you.

Pilgrim’s Progress, a rigourous tale about the journey to heaven. As a person who is like a child in the faith, you embark on this reading journey in order to understand Christianity better and hopefully gain wisdom and understanding. The death of one of the pilgrims, Faithful, shocked you and filled you with an inexplainable uncomfortable feeling. You realized the risks of embarking on such a journey, the rebuke you may receive, the taunting and the hardships that come with following and practicing something you believe. This book gave you encouragement towards your own journey of faith and inspired you to pursue it more seriously and with a light heart. Oh, how I love your ambition.

A Thousand Splendid Suns, the best of them yet, ridding you of petty desires you used to fervently covet. This book expanded your perspective and caused you to respect the struggles of women; how they are survivors and warriors. This book brought you to tears as you reminisce, periodic trips to Nigeria where you met other women in the marketplace who shared their own life stories with you. You heard stories of being sold into prostitution, being sold into marriage, selling themselves all to live. You felt sympathy, but not empathy. This book caused that to change. It educated you more on what’s going on outside your own little world, and inspired you to remain steadfast and chained.

Oluwatimilehin Kikelomo Adetula; that is your full name.

God always has your back; a pampered child. Beautiful, loving, and passionate: that is what you are. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. No matter the trials and tribulation, your journey cannot end here; your journey has just barely begun.

Yours Truly,

Timi Adetua