The focus for the 8th week (Feb. 21 – Feb. 27) of the 52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge was:
Express Gratitude to 3 People
It is always reassuring when someone expresses gratitude to me in one form or another. I know how it feels. I made me feel like doing more, you know. And the same happens to most people when we express our gratitude to them.
We read something during one morning devotion in Everyday with Jesus. He said we should express our gratitude to God for all that He has done. But we should also not forget to express gratitude to those through whom God works in our lives.
So during the 8th week of the gratitude challenge, I expressed my gratitude to the following 3 people. Their responses, as you can guess, was heartwarming. Enjoy.
Angela
I do not remember when and how I met Angela, but I remember we used to talk just about every day when I moved to Cyprus. Our communication was always smooth and we enjoyed talking to each other. I believe it was so because we wanted to be friends with each other, so we made it easy to be friends with each other. We were open and genuine in our speaking, and so it was a relationship that I enjoyed.
Although she said we were friends even before I left for Cyprus, I do not remember it that way. The few months leading up to my departure for Cyprus were stressful. I moved a lot and there were a lot of activities, so I do not remember much.
The foundation of our friendship developed during my first few months in Cyprus. From that point on, we remained friends until last year when we met face to face, for the first time.
We had shawarma at Eden Garden in Abuja, while she told me about her life in Abuja. The stories of her struggles in finding her place in Abuja, were inspiring. I got to know another side of Angela that day, and each time I remember her story, I feel inspired.
So my gratitude to Angela is for remaining my friend for close to a decade, though we’ve only met just once. Her story inspires and motivates me too, so I am grateful for that. Our lives are different now, but we still do what we can to keep in touch every other day. So yes, I am grateful for her friendship, and I hope we can work together in the future.
Mosun
Also known as “Groovy Misty”, Mosun is was one of my oldest friends from Cyprus. We resumed at about the same semester at EUL, and we shared the same hostel building back then. I do not recall whether she came before me or if I came before her.
Being a small campus, we became friends on no time. Also, it was her uncle that first told me about the European University of Lefke. After they denied me visa into the Republic of Cyprus, he suggested that I go to Northern Cyprus.
While Mosun and I have been friends from my first year at EUL, we have had many rough and deep patches. There was something that Mosun said her elder sister, who was with us in Cyprus for a while, always said. She said that no matter how big our fights were, we would always make up and come back together as friends.
We fought often, but I noticed that this was true; we always make up. Our longest fight lasted almost a year. Even though we were not speaking with each other that period, Mosun surprised me! A few minutes after midnight, on my birthday that year, she came up to my room with a bag of goodies. She said something like “I know we’re not on good terms right now, but I still wanted to wish you a happy birthday!” She gave me a hug, handed me the bag and took off immediately.
Whenever I think of friends with whom I have had big fights, Mosun comes to mind. Even so, I realized that our fights often brought us closer together. We have had our ups and downs, but Mosun still remains a friend, and one that I can call a “good friend” indeed.
But I am most grateful that after almost 10 years, we are still good friends, despite our differences.
Yitmwa
It is still kind of a mystery to me how she came into my life. Her sister, someone who I have never met (still), introduced us online some years ago.
I remember the introduction though. I logged on to Yahoo! Messenger one day and say this message “I want you to meet someone”. I did not know who it was from, so I just ignored it.
A few days later, I see another message “my sister wanted me to meet you”. For some reason, I decided to engage this person in a conversation, and that was the beginning.
She was in Lebanon at the time, while I was in Cyprus. She would always call me and we would talk for minutes, sometimes even up to an hour, every other day. We continued our long distance relationship, even until we met in Nigeria for the first time in 2008.
Since then, each time we meet, it is always a thrill and a pleasure. She makes sure that we enjoy our time together but doing everything she can. To be honest, she gives way more than I ever have, or may ever give, in this friendship.
Not haven lived up to her efforts so far, I reserve a magnitude of gratitude for my relationship with her. She is an important part of my life in Cyprus, and thus in general.
Expressing Gratitude
Someone once said that we should be thankful to God for his blessings. He also said that we should not forget to thank those whom God has used to bless us.
Gratitude, in itself, has its blessings. In expressing that gratitude, you also bless the other person. It also serves as a testimony, and encourages them to continue being kind and loving beings.
I am grateful to everyone on this list, for showing me what true friendship means.
Bonus
I know that I was to express gratitude to 3 people this week, but I was not able to do so, hence the lateness of this post. But I will still make mention of the original 3rd person I had meant to express gratitude to.
Mrs. Otashe
She comes to the house a few days a week to help my mother with chores around the home. I still don’t know how or why there’s so much work in this house, lol But it’s too much for just one person to handle.
So she comes around to help out with domestic chores. I am expressing gratitude (here) because there is one thing that I have always believed. Just because you pay someone to do something for you, doesn’t mean you cannot make their work easier.
She comes around to help, even though she is being gets paid, but I do little things to help reduce her work. So why am I helping the helper? Because I am grateful!
I have lived a lone for almost a third of my life and I’m used to doing everything for myself. So I can appreciate having things done for you, giving you less to do and little to worry about.
So I feel grateful that she takes the time and effort, to get some things done around the house. I could not express my gratitude to her this week, but I am still going to do so soon.
Do you remember the last time someone expressed deep felt gratitude to you?
Please share in the comment section below. Thanks
7 things I was grateful for during the 8th week of this 52 weeks of gratitude challenge:
- Thank God for Visa credit cards
- I forgot why we have such cool breeze in the evenings. I take it as natures gentle reminder, to relax, after a stressful day. I’m grateful for the cool and relaxing evening breeze
- Sex is probably the greatest physical pleasure you can give another human being. But I’m grateful for sex, for the purpose of recreation
- Thank God for visas, that little piece of paper that grants a foreigner temporary citizenship in another country
- Thank God for massages!
- Thank God for fire, that we use to heat, burn and cook things
- Definitely, everyone needs a Raisa, in their lives! Today, I’m grateful for my dear friend Raisa
View last week’s post: www.kheme.tk/2016/02/gratitude-challenge-week-7-a-friend-1/