Hi ladies 🥰
it’s so lovely to be back here, participating in another LOH Contest, and this time, right timing! I happened to be back to talk about my favourite person in the whole world, my mum.
You know, Nigerian mums usually have this reputation for being strict, always asking when you plan to marry, and subtly reminding you that if you’re not rich or doing something significant with your life, well… you’re just “existing.” My mum? None of that. She’s… free. She’s firm but gentle, supportive but never smothering. She somehow manages friendship and parenthood boundaries that I still don’t understand. We can laugh together, rant together, plan together but cross her or disrespect her? No chance. She’ll remind you of your place and you don't wanna hear a Nigerian mom ranting, gosh, she'll talk your ears off 😂
I remember when I moved to a new location for a year for service work, and after that, I wanted to just stay put, try out life on my own, and start roughing adulthood. She said no. Not in a controlling way, but with every trick in her book, she brought me back home. And she didn’t just drag me back, she made it easy for me to thrive. She prepared my space, organized what I needed, made staying and working from home seamless, so I could focus on growing without feeling stuck.
She encourages me to go out, socialize, live my youth fully. She’s the opposite of restrictive, she believes experiences and freedom matter. And when it comes to relationships, she doesn’t push, doesn’t pressure, doesn’t tie my worth to a man’s potential. She tells me to wait, be patient, because my dream man is out there somewhere. Meanwhile, she’s cheering me on to live fully and independently.
And yet… she’s disciplined. Somehow, she balances that freedom with clear boundaries. She’s our friend, our confidante, our strategist. When I work on relaunching Melodhee_nails, she knows exactly when to step in, you know, give moral support, strategic advice, pep talks, tough love when needed, and even celebratory laughter when I overreact to a small setback. She just… shows up in all the ways that matter.
I don’t cry in front of people, ever. But with her? I can. She sees me at my rawest, my goofiest, my unpolished, and she laughs, she groans, and she still loves me. She once told me, “If people who know you as elegant saw you at home being goofy, they’d holler in disbelief.” And she’s right. But that’s the magic of her presence, I can be entirely myself without fear of judgment.
We’ve had so many little moments this past year. Late-night discussions about work, life, dreams. Random bursts of laughter when one of us trips over our own chaos. I don't even miss people too but she....she's also miss-able, ha ha, such good energy.
So, Hive ladies, that’s my person. My mum. She’s the one who survives my messiness, who celebrates my small wins, who listens when I ramble, who laughs at my jokes, and sometimes, edge me on even when I’m being a little delulu.
Love her to the moon and beyond and so grateful for such a good relationship with her.