MY PERSONAL NO.1

What I really don’t want to hear? ”I told you so”. Mummy would not say those four words out loud, because well, she doesn’t need to. My conscience is loud enough. Growing up, it took me a few ‘I told you so’s’ to realize that though my parents advice may not always tally with exactly what I want, am better of taking it anyway.

The people we look up to contribute a great deal to the kind of persons we turn out to be. I cannot say that I have made all the best decisions since deciding to follow up in the footsteps of mummy, but I can say that I haven’t had any regrets so far. Her opinions always matter. They help me to close the deal in the decision making process. As an adult, I know she’s had a lot of experience in life. She knows best. She’s not perfect, she definitely made some mistakes in the past. The great thing about that is, she wouldn’t want me to repeat them; makes life a bit easier to deal with. At times when I have not lived up to her expectations, am more encouraged to do better, because I know she believes in me.

Mummy has a big heart. Taking me in and caring for me like a mother would despite the inconveniences, not everyone would do that. She’s the strongest person I know. Am yet to see mummy break under pressure in a difficult time; not when the ER is like her second home. Very passionate about her job, dedicated to making sure that baby survives. A mother of two awesome kids, a wife and a surgeon…how you juggle all of that together? well, you’re just great at it.

Today, you graduated as a consultant pediatric surgeon and top of your class. The whole family is very proud of you. You deserved it and you earned it. You are smart!!! We bless God for what he has done for you. Like daddy and I always say; you’re almost always right! And you deserve the very best. Congrats!

Dr. Mrs. Ambe Nana Esi Obbeng, I dedicate this to you!

We Love You!

NO SMOKING. NO ALCOHOL. NO DRUGS.

Something has got to kill a man. Smoking,  drinking alcohol or using drugs cannot and will not kill you unless you decide otherwise. There are many ways a person can commit suicide. To me, these three form a part of them; smoking, drinking alcohol and doing drugs. Most people start out as passive or occasional ASDs, for the purpose of this post, ASDs refer to people who take alcohol, smoke or do drugs, before getting addicted to them over time. The world and life is such that humans are bound to be sad or happy at one time or the other. Using any of the above to get over sadness or just to contain happiness is a sure route to addiction, because you are not going to get happy or sad just once or twice in your lifetime. And that is where the suicide comes in. if rehab does not save you, death will not escape you either.

My dad died from a liver problem caused by alcohol and smoking. I wish my dad was still alive. I miss him a whole lot. I witnessed what he had to go through before finally giving up the fight and I vowed not to touch any of the two, drugs included. We have heard the stories and cautions countless times. It’s no use repeating them. I am an ardent advocate of the happy life cause, live life to the fullest. Do what makes you happy, but live reasonably. For whatever reason that you might be an ASD, it’s not worth it. You do not have to depend on them to be happy. How well you deal with life’s challenges makes you who you are, strong or weak. The above make you weak, not strong. An indication that you’re not strong enough to face the problem at hand so you cover it up with booze or get high on some weed or coke. That problem is your reality. You are going to have to deal with it one way or the other, not cover it up or push it aside. If you’re happy, give thanks and give back. Don’t cut your happiness short with a long term fatal illness that you could have avoided. Yeah sure, once in a while you want to hang out with your boys or girls and just have fun, no big deal there. But watch your habits before they become your character, says the wise. The thing about death is that when you die, you’re gone. You have no business with the rest of the living. It is those whom you leave behind that suffer the most. Those who have to deal with the pain of losing you. Those whose love for you creates a void in their hearts. Think about them before you decide to mess your life up. The life you live today affects your generation and the one you’re going to help create. Your kids are going to look up to you, they could end up worse than you did, but do not let it be because at some point, they decided to follow in your footsteps. Do not let them learn the facts the hard way, like I did. Someday I hope to have the chance to share exciting experiences with my kids and grandkids. They will include the good and the bad and the lessons learnt. I would teach them to live life as best as they can. To not be afraid of making mistakes, to be strong and wise, and to be happy. The story of how I lost my dad, I will not leave out. To my kids, I would say GOD FIRST, NO ALCOHOL. NO SMOKING. NO DRUGS.

If you would lock all your doors securely to ensure your safety, if you would look twice or thrice before crossing the road to avoid an accident, think hard about the choice you’re making to become an ASD. Your Life Is Involved.