We Remember

We remember those we lost.
We remember the things we lost.
We remember the relationships, connections, emotions and stories.
We remember the laughter, the love, the angers and the fights.
We remember the lives cut short by disaster.
We pray for the souls to continue to rest in peace.
We pray for the families to gain comfort and peace.
We pray for the nation to be healed and restored.

December 10th, we pray, we cry, we laugh, we smile,
We never forget....

Remembering our angels on this day, December 10th, 2015:

Kene Abba, Kelechi Adaka, Busayo Adebolu, Leke Adewoga, Boluwarim Adeyemi, Gabriella Aikhiobare, Wole Ajilore, Obongawan Akpan, Agu Akwiwu, Owanari Amachree, Chisom Awaji, Uzoma Awaji, Vivian Baa, Toke Badru, Chinenye Chigbo, Fanye Daniel-Kalio, Helena Edet, Chineonye Egbosimba, Uzo Egwele, Udeme Ekefre, Aniefon Ekereuwem, Amanze Ekwem, Ibra Ellah, Sandra Gbemudu, Nnanna Ibiam, Nnamdi Idabor, Chuka Ilabor, Nkem Ilabor, Buso Ilabor, Silvia Iroghama, Chibuzo Kamanu, Emma Loolo, Chiweoke Mba, Ijeamaka Mba, Augustine Monago, Linda Njoku, Obioma Nkaginieme, Ubani Nkaginieme, Chidera Nnaji, Ebuka Nnebedum, Emma Ntemuse, Hadiza Nwadei, Chioma Nwigwe, Stephanie Nwoko, Chidinma Nzelu, Adachi Nzenwa, Chidinma Okafor, Zikora Okafor, Ibiso Okemini, Onyeka Okereke, Daniel Okpe, Chris Olakpe, Whitney Orbih, Mayowa Oyebode, Jachimike Tony-Okeke, Ifeanyi Ubah, Richard Udeozor, Uzo Ugochukwu, Chigoziri Ukairo and Peter Utuk

10/12 (1): 10 Years in the Future

Every year on Dec 10th, I write a tribute to the 60 angels, and to the other precious souls who lost their lives on Dec 10th 2005 in the Sosoliso plane crash. Every year, I talk about what I remember them as, what I hope for, what I feel, what I think about them.... Every year, I am filled with a number of emotions, mostly melancholic, sometimes bitter-sweet. Now, my bitter-sweet brew also has a dash of anger, or is it deep rooted sorrow?? I can't quite place the emotion.

See, my best friend, one of the only two survivors of that plane crash, returned to the country for the first time in 10 years. She arrived at the airport and sent pictures. At first, I wasn't sure of what I was looking at. I didn't read the message she had sent along with the pictures, so I proceeded to ask her what she was doing around abandoned buildings and tents. She then responds telling me that was the international airport. The pictures I was looking at, were not pictures of random places in town, but of parts of a country's international airport.

I'm not sure if my sadness right now surpasses my anger, or where the line between the two is drawn. I'm not even sure if there is a line any more. My heart breaks as I think and try to convince myself that there is still a chance for a change to occur, even as the country continues to rotate within the circle it has continued to spin in since its formation....

I'm not sure how I feel or what it is I want to say, so I will leave this train of thought incomplete.

....To be continued....

xo

1012: Another Year

Every year, I get to this day and time, and I write a post. A post which has evolved over the years. This year however, I am almost at a loss for words.
It's been so many years, but it still hurts.
It's been so many years, but many questions remain unanswered.
It's been so many years, but the memory is still strong.
It's been so many years, but your places remain in our hearts.
It's been so many years, but we still remember the good times.
It's been so many years, but you live on in our hearts, minds and lives.
It's been so many years, but we still miss you all.

Remembering our angels on this day, December 10th, 2014:

Kene Abba, Kelechi Adaka, Busayo Adebolu, Leke Adewoga, Boluwarim Adeyemi, Gabriella Aikhiobare, Wole Ajilore, Obongawan Akpan, Agu Akwiwu, Owanari Amachree, Chisom Awaji, Uzoma Awaji, Vivian Baa, Toke Badru, Chinenye Chigbo, Fanye Daniel-Kalio, Helena Edet, Chineonye Egbosimba, Uzo Egwele, Udeme Ekefre, Aniefon Ekereuwem, Amanze Ekwem, Ibra Ellah, Sandra Gbemudu, Nnanna Ibiam, Nnamdi Idabor, Chuka Ilabor, Nkem Ilabor, Buso Ilabor, Silvia Iroghama, Chibuzo Kamanu, Emma Loolo, Chiweoke Mba, Ijeamaka Mba, Augustine Monago, Linda Njoku, Obioma Nkaginieme, Ubani Nkaginieme, Chidera Nnaji, Ebuka Nnebedum, Emma Ntemuse, Hadiza Nwadei, Chioma Nwigwe, Stephanie Nwoko, Chidinma Nzelu, Adachi Nzenwa, Chidinma Okafor, Zikora Okafor, Ibiso Okemini, Onyeka Okereke, Daniel Okpe, Chris Olakpe, Whitney Orbih, Mayowa Oyebode, Jachimike Tony-Okeke, Ifeanyi Ubah, Richard Udeozor, Uzo Ugochukwu, Chigoziri Ukairo and Peter Utuk

BLESSED IN YOU

Memorial Song as promised. I'd record the tune on my keyboard sometime later and post it for those interested :)

Enjoy!!

St 1: Like a shooting star

You shot into my world.

In a little while

You changed the shape of my stars

And just as I was

Try’to adjust

To the new light you shined in my world

St 2: Like a little dove

You flew out of my life

I had no say

Just had to take it that way

Now that we’ve both, gone our separate ways

Got just one last thing to say

Chrs: Thank you

For giving me love

For teaching me to live each day as my last

Thank you

For giving me hope

For letting me know that some day, some how, some where in time

I was actually blessed by God through you.

St 2: So many things

I’d love to ask and know

Like how or why

Or what actually went wrong

And just as I was

Tryna begin

I saw there were no answers for me

St 3: So many times

I’d love to see your face

To hear you laugh

Or see the twinkle in your eyes

But now that I know, that cannot be

 Got just one last thing to say

(CHRS)

Brdg:

You gave me love – that’s why I’m stronger

You gave me faith – in a haven away

You gave me your shoulder – when I was in tears

You gave me a reason to smile with a brand new day

You were my friend, my brother, my sister

You were the love of my life

You were my helper, my comfort my strength,

That’s why am strong enough to say

(CHRS) 2x

I was actually blessed by God…

through… you.

Giving Thanks - December 10th

A few hours ago, I thought this post was going to be depressing, considering the fact that I just heard of the loss of an uncle, and that it seems to be annually so (is that a correct English sentence?). I haven't liked December for a while now (still don't really), which is sad considering it is a month of thanksgiving for the coming of our savior. It's mostly because over the years, the season has been associated with more tears than laughter for mi. 

Then it occurred to mi that just a year after the crash, the memorial song I wrote (will be posted after this) was not one of sorrows, but of thanks. Somehow, I was able to find somethings to be thankful for. So in keeping with the spirit of that time, and taking a step in the positive direction, I decided to make myself think positive for this year's tribute. Rather than be sad, I want to give thanks.

Give thanks to God for the two lives spared. 

Give thanks to God for the lives of the 60.

Give thanks to God that our paths crossed and I was able to meet them.

Give thanks to God for the blessings they brought with their presence and even in their absence.

Give thanks to God for the lessons we learned from their short lives.

Give thanks to God for the smiles we get when we remember then in different ways.

Give thanks to God for the love He allowed us share and experience in their short time on earth. 

Give thanks to God for the comfort He has given since that faithful day.

Give thanks to God for the depressing void he has filled with good memories since.

Give thanks to God for the continuos healing. 

Give thanks to God for the strength He has bestowed upon us all to continue to carry on.

And above all else,

Give thanks to God for the promise of eternal life, which gives us hope of meeting them again. 

Remembering our angels on this day, December 10th, 2013:

Kene Abba, Kelechi Adaka, Busayo Adebolu, Leke Adewoga, Boluwarim Adeyemi, Gabriella Aikhiobare, Wole Ajilore, Obongawan Akpan, Agu Akwiwu, Owanari Amachree, Chisom Awaji, Uzoma Awaji, Vivian Baa, Toke Badru, Chinenye Chigbo, Fanye Daniel-Kalio, Helena Edet, Chineonye Egbosimba, Uzo Egwele, Udeme Ekefre, Aniefon Ekereuwem, Amanze Ekwem, Ibra Ellah, Sandra Gbemudu, Nnanna Ibiam, Nnamdi Idabor, Chuka Ilabor, Nkem Ilabor, Buso Ilabor, Silvia Iroghama, Chibuzo Kamanu, Emma Loolo, Chiweoke Mba, Ijeamaka Mba, Augustine Monago, Linda Njoku, Obioma Nkaginieme, Ubani Nkaginieme, Chidera Nnaji, Ebuka Nnebedum, Emma Ntemuse, Hadiza Nwadei, Chioma Nwigwe, Stephanie Nwoko, Chidinma Nzelu, Adachi Nzenwa, Chidinma Okafor, Zikora Okafor, Ibiso Okemini, Onyeka Okereke, Daniel Okpe, Chris Olakpe, Whitney Orbih, Mayowa Oyebode, Jachimike Tony-Okeke, Ifeanyi Ubah, Richard Udeozor, Uzo Ugochukwu, Chigoziri Ukairo and Peter Utuk

Thinking of you yesterday, today and forever. In our hearts always

RIP

1012 Advanced

I ddi a recap of my blog all night long, as you can tell, my insomnia is still active. Went over the 1012 posts and I noticed one thing, time does heal wounds. 

THe words I used over the years have in deed changed. In the beginning, it was all pain and sadness and tears. But then I noticed, as time went by, I started talking about remembering the good times, smiling, etc. 

I don't think the saying means time would wipe out the wound and make the place new. But it would heal and make it bearable. It healed alright, with a scar. Not the kind that hurts daily, maybe from time to time. But the fact remains, it heals. 

On Angel's Wings

Today at church, we talked about apology and saying 'I'm Sorry'. About one's love language and apology language. For some reason, it made mi think of Zikora. Which is weird cause I haven't thought about him in a while. Took mi a minute to remember what he looked like. Amazingly, all I could remember was that sarcastic look/smile he got when he tried, in his Zikora way, to stop himself from telling you what he truly thought.

My last few months with Zikora, I spent them apologizing. It was almost a routine. Run, find him, walk with him and chanting 'please, I'm sorry, tell mi why....' etc. Still don't know what it was I was apologizing for. He never got around to telling mi that. 

But I like to think he got over it and forgave mi, long before the term was over. He probably enjoyed making mi plead with him. He still smiled, sometimes laughed when I brought up possible reasons for the oath of silence. He never spoke to mi again though. He smiled, laughed, but never spoke. 

I still think it was my fault - well obviously, I'm the one he was mad at - something I said probably - seeing as I have a big mouth. But when I think about him, I still smile through the tears. He was a friend, quite dear too. I don't know why now, but maybe someday I'd find out what it was about...who knows, we might even kick back together and laugh about the stupid affairs of seasons past.

RIP angel, still miss you.

7 Years

Another year, another month,
Another week, another day,
Another hour, another minute,
Another second....another memory.

We remember you all and smile,
We remember you and our hearts sheds a tear.
We remember you all and laugh,
We remember you all hold back the tears.

The memories we had together,
The good times and laughs we shared.
The fights we had together,
The bad times we feared.

We remember your smile and say a little prayer,
We remember your warmth and say a little prayer,
We remember your laughter and say a little prayer,
We remember your words and say a little prayer.

We remember your tears and say a little prayer,
We remember your fears and say a little prayer,
We remember your worries and say a little prayer,
We remember your prayers and say a little prayer.

We remember your voice,
We remember you.