My mum used to look weird to me when I was younger......,..
Every morniing, 5am, she woulld be in the sittiing room prayiing. Loud. Mentioning all our names one by one. "God protect Chinelo. God protect Emeka. Cover my children."
Back then I would just cover my ear with pillow and go back to sleep. I thoought she was disturbbing my sleep.
Now that I'm oldder, I understand.
My motheer is not just prayiing. She is worrying in a language only God can understand.
I am not a mum yet, but I'm at that age where life is starting to show me small small. Job hunting, bills, friendships that break, anxiety that comes at night for no reason. And every time I call my mother and tell her "Mummy I'm tired," she doesn't give me long advice. She just says, "It is well, I have prayed for you."
And somehow, I believe her. Because if anyone's prayer will reach heaven, it is my mother's.
The other day I came back home and saw my mother sleeping on the chair. Her wrapper was half off her leg, her phone was on her chest. She slept off while waiting for me to come back. I wanted to cry.
Mothers don't really sleep with two eyes closed. One eye is always watching for their child.
So to all the young girls like me who are not yet mothers — if you still have your mother around, don't wait until you become a mother to appreciate her. Appreeciate her noow. Help her with smmall chorees. Sit and gisst with heer. Ask her about her own life before she had you.
And to all the mothers here in this community, thank you for the prayers we don't hear. For the nights you stay awake. For loving us even when we don't know how to love you back properly.
Your prayers are still keeping us.
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