Today, 28th June, is my birthday.
Every year on this day, I find myself sitting quietly,
thinking about how far life has brought me. Sometimes I smile, sometimes I
laugh at old memories, and sometimes my eyes become wet because not every part
of my journey has been easy.
Life has taught me so much. It has taught me how to love
people, even when they did not love me back the same way. It has taught me that
being loved is one of the most beautiful feelings in the world. I have met
people who became family without sharing my blood, and I have met people who
walked away after promising they never would. That is life.
I have struggled. I have failed. I have been
disappointed. There were days I felt like nothing was working, days I wondered
if all my efforts even mattered, and nights I cried myself to sleep, hoping
that tomorrow would somehow be different. But after a while, I realised
something. Crying makes the heart feel lighter, but it does not change the
situation. So every time I cried, I wiped my face, stood up, and tried again. I
kept telling myself, ‘One more time, Nightengale. Just one more time.’ That has
become my life. People see the smile, but they do not know how many battles it
has survived. They see the confidence, but they do not know how many times fear
sat beside me. They see the writer, but they do not know how many stories were
written with tears in my eyes.
Sometimes I think I am like a phoenix. Life burns me, but
somehow I rise again. I do not know where the strength comes from. Maybe it is
God. Maybe it is hope. Maybe it is because I still believe my story is not
over. Looking back now, I realise that every difficult season left something
behind. Some taught me patience, some taught me to be careful, and some taught
me that not everyone who comes into your life is meant to stay. Those moments
hurt, but they also helped me become the person I am today.
I am just me. My name is Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu. I love
writing. I always have. It is the one place where I can pour out my heart
without anyone interrupting me. I love singing too. I may not know how to
dance, but I know how to speak from my heart. I enjoy meeting people, listening
to their stories, and learning from them because every person has a story, just
as I have mine.
People always ask me what my favourite colours are. I
tell them white, blue, and pink because they remind me of peace, hope, and
kindness. Yet, somehow, I always find myself wearing red. Maybe I never noticed
that it had quietly become the colour of my strength. I do not really have a
favourite food, but if you serve me boiled potato, I might politely leave it on
the plate. I still do not know whether it is the sweetness or those little
strings that come out after it is cooked. I just know we have never been
friends. Apart from that, if the food is delicious, I will gladly eat it.
I also love travelling. I have always wanted to see
different parts of the world with my own eyes. I want to experience different
cultures, meet new people, hear different languages, and see the places I have
only read about. I believe every place has something beautiful to offer, and I
hope that, little by little, I will get to see more of God's wonderful
creation.
As I celebrate another birthday today, I am not
celebrating because life has been perfect. I am celebrating because I am still
here. I am grateful for every prayer that carried me through the days when I
felt like giving up, for every lesson life taught me, and even for the tears
that nobody saw. They became part of my story. If you are reading this and life
feels heavy, I may not know what you are going through, but I hope you do not
give up. I know what it feels like to wait for better days. Sometimes they take
longer than we expect, but they do come.
Happy Birthday to me. I still have dreams to chase, books
to write, songs to sing, places to see, people to meet, and so much life ahead
of me. As long as God gives me breath, I will keep moving forward, one step at
a time.
With love,
Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
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