Happy New Year

In many ways I am glad to see the back of 2006. It has been a rather unsettling year with many unexpected events; however even in all the chaos 2006 has had some flashes of pure joy. Top of the list no doubt has been the support of friends and family especially during the time of Mum’s funeral.

I never thought that my mum would die so soon after moving to Nigeria. My family in UK and Kenya worried over how I would take the news given that I was in a new country almost all alone. I say almost because even though I did arrive in Nigeria alone certainly by the time I was leaving for Kenya to attend the funeral I knew I had some solid friends in Nigeria. I had barely known them for a month but each one of them stood by me in ways that I could never have imagined. Likewise when I arrived in Kenya I was touched by the outpouring of empathy, compassion and love extended to my family by all our friends.

Right now I am blogging from Kenya. I was in two minds about making this trip because as much as I wanted to see my family I was unsure how we would deal with a Christmas without mum. I am thrilled I made the trip. It hasn’t been easy but just like the last time there have been friends on hand to see us into the New Year. In a strange way this has been one of the best holidays I have had and I believe my brother and sisters are of the same view.

So as I head back to Abuja and as we work our way through 2007 I want to thank each and everyone of you who has taken time to support my family. So many of you were friends before mum’s passing and now I count you as family. To those of you who were strangers you are now friends. I wish you all the very best for the year ahead. May you all have more of those instances of pure joy and in the event that life throws you an unexpected event I pray that I can be a good a friend to you as you have been to me.