Ada, well done.
For I hail you.
I hail your resilience,
your patience,
your diligence.
For as long as you remember,
you have been part of the kitchen.
Your siblings have been your responsibility,
your hands to bathe them,
your feet to fetch,
your voice to soothe,
your back to carry what was never light.
A mother‑in‑waiting
before you ever became a child,
because your own childhood
was taken before you could hold it.
So for you, Ada
who does for others before herself,
who keeps the house from falling apart,
who ensures all is right
so no one else will shout,
I hail you.
For the shouting,
the slaps,
the canes you’ve taken on behalf of many.
For your constant striving
to keep peace where peace refused to stay.
I know you may not be seen.
I know you may not be appreciated.
So I will give you exactly that.
Dear African First,
You’ve done well.
You’ve protected,
You’ve fought,
You’ve stood tall and strong like an iroko tree.
You’ve carved a path
for others to follow.
You’ve done well.
So when you get the chance
to spoil yourself rotten,
please do so.
It is needed.
It is deserved.
For the fact that you kept your sanity
even with your own problems
hanging around your neck
like a heavy necklace.
Ada,
you have done well.
Mar 9
Mar 9, 2026 at 8:26 AM UTC
Ada, well done.
For I hail you.
I hail your resilience,
your patience,
your diligence.
For as long as you remember,
you have been part of the kitchen.
Your siblings have been your responsibility,
your hands to bathe them,
your feet to fetch,
your voice to soothe,
your back to carry what was never light.
A mother‑in‑waiting
before you ever became a child,
because your own childhood
was taken before you could hold it.
So for you, Ada
who does for others before herself,
who keeps the house from falling apart,
who ensures all is right
so no one else will shout,
I hail you.
For the shouting,
the slaps,
the canes you’ve taken on behalf of many.
For your constant striving
to keep peace where peace refused to stay.
I know you may not be seen.
I know you may not be appreciated.
So I will give you exactly that.
Dear African First,
You’ve done well.
You’ve protected,
You’ve fought,
You’ve stood tall and strong like an iroko tree.
You’ve carved a path
for others to follow.
You’ve done well.
So when you get the chance
to spoil yourself rotten,
please do so.
It is needed.
It is deserved.
For the fact that you kept your sanity
even with your own problems
hanging around your neck
like a heavy necklace.
Ada,
you have done well.
