For Seun Odukoya

Hey,

I hope this meets you well.

Last night, I told you I was going to write you something special. Well, here it is.

I don’t believe in waiting till you lose a loved one before you write them tributes. Perhaps that’s why I’m writing this right now.

You always say; “If I’m special to you, tell me now. Don’t wait till I’m dead.” While I find that amusing, I also know it to be true. Why wait till someone dies before you write them a soppy lengthy tribute extolling their virtues and sharing how much they meant to you? The dead don’t read tributes now do they?

Oh well. Moving on.

After all our exchanges on Twitter, I finally met you in person on the 3^rd of April 2014.

I only just realized it’s been exactly 8 months since then. Interesting.

In the past 8 months, you have grown to become really important to me.

Few things excite me as much as maintaining friendships with likeminded people who share your values, inspire you and encourage you to maximize potential. That’s a sketch of who you are to me. You motivate me to do better, to be better.

I have chanced upon a few unusual people who have made a difference in my life and you are one of such. Your manner of speaking, your general attitude and disposition, your wahala, your laughter…

You make me feel like I can reach out to you at any time. Indeed, more times than I can remember, you have talked me through mood swings, work pressure and uncertainties. You have manipulated tight work schedules to make out time for me and you really have no idea how much I appreciate that.

Your laughter is a pleasant sound and if I could, I would make you laugh all the time. Really. Because when you laugh, you laugh with all your being. It is a rich sound that bubbles up from the core of you like some potion in a cauldron and overflows on the outside. I must have told you a million times. I love the sound of your laughter.

It’s not so much the things you say to me as how you say them. Truly, you might go a long way to make a point but when you do, it certainly sticks 😉

And yes, you can be annoying. So many times you say and do things that just leave me weak. And I find myself thinking; if this was my little brother ehn! And then you remind me “You have too many normal guys around you. I can’t be like that.” Well, normal is boring. You? You’re fun. Annoying sometimes but certainly fun.

 I wish I could do for you as much as you have done for me. But I have come to realize that true friendship isn’t a competition of who can do more, it’s about being there for someone as much as you can and letting them be there for you as much as they can.

I’m grateful for Twitter that brought me you and I am eternally grateful for the gift of your friendship. I kinda feel that when Jesus said “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” you were one of the people He had in mind for me, for this season of my life.

Thank you for sharing a part of you with me. I feel privileged and I deeply appreciate you.

You are a delight to my heart!

Love,

Oge.