As a son of a father, born under the shade of ancient Iroko tree,
Where the winds whisper tales of ancestral strength,
I carry the weight of my lineage upon my shoulders,
A curtain with threads of valor and wisdom.
My father, a beacon of resilience,
In a land where hope flickers like a candle in the wind,
Taught me the adages of our people:
“A river that forgets its source will surely dry up.”
In his eyes, I saw the dreams of a thousand generations,
Reflected in the shimmering heat of our sun-soaked soil.
Now, as a father of a son, miles away in this bewildering nation,
Where poverty, kidnapping, and political turmoil cast long shadows,
I feel the pulse of fear in my veins,
Yet I hold tightly to the ember of hope,
For I know that within you, my son, burns the fire of a brighter dawn.
You are the bridge between our past and future,
A bridge built with the bricks of our ancestral dreams,
And the mortar of your boundless potential.
In the Western world, where your life shall begin anew,
You will blossom, nurtured by the light of opportunity,
Unfurling your wings to soar beyond the horizon of our struggles.
Oh, the joy of being a father!
It is like the first rays of dawn kissing the earth,
A promise of a new day, a better tomorrow.
In you, I see the courage of Macbeth,
The hope of Othello, the resilience of King Lear,
Your spirit is a phoenix, rising from the ashes of adversity,
Gloriously defying the darkness that seeks to bind you.
My son, remember the wisdom of our elders:
“A child who knows how to wash his hands will dine with kings.”
You are born into a family of royalty,
Of academic excellence and political sagacity,
Your blood is rich with the ink of scholars,
And the courage of warriors.
In this foreign land, let the American adage guide you:
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
Turn every challenge into a steppingstone,
Every setback into a lesson,
For you are the heir to a legacy of greatness,
A legacy that neither distance nor adversity can diminish.
As the moon whispers secrets to the night,
So, I whisper my hopes to you,
May you walk with empathy, and stand tall with dignity,
May you find strength in our shared heritage,
And courage in the face of life’s storms.
For you, my son, are the embodiment of our dreams,
A testament to the unyielding spirit of our people,
And in you, I see the dawn of a new era,
A future where our legacy shines ever brighter,
And our hearts beat as one,
Across the oceans that separate us.
So go forth, with the blessings of our ancestors,
And the love of a father who sees in you,
The promise of a world reborn,
A son of a father, and a father of a son.
HAPPY FATHERS DAY
By: Jide Adesina
