Saturday 24 April 2021

WHAT MANNER OF CELEBRATION?

 


I was thinking this morning..... about celebration. Yesterday, I was at the 50th birthday celebration of a friend and wife of a colleague. We all gathered to welcome her to the 5th Floor with pump and pageantry. Where I sat admiring the aso-ebi ladies and gentlemen, I remembered my early years in Warri when we celebrated birthdays, sorry, 'bydays.' The celebration was on a different level. While I was too young to remember my first birthday groove, I can remember a thing or two of my 10th in 1980 with the aid of that black and white 'pishure.' There was no cake, just a big bowl of rice with bottled Coca-Cola and Fanta standing guard on both sides. We gather behind the table and a click of the pinhole camera signals the beginning of wackies. Chai! Dat na celebration.

Three days earlier, I saw myself attending the 5th Year Remembrance Thanksgiving Service of my late uncle. Yes, it was a sombre mood through the service, but immediately after, we gathered to wine and dine. The beautifully decorated venue and dressed guests was not because we are happy he died but because he lived a good life that blessed so many. As I dug into the local delta delicacy, owo and starch and washed it down with sparkling grape juice, I nodded my head and said, this too is celebration.

On my way to the birthday celebration, there were others going for a different celebration, this time the joining in holy matrimony. Having waited so long for a life partner, when 'he that eventually findeth' goes all out to splash cash as much as they do colours, dancing azonto across the hall, please do not beef him. That too na celebration.

There are other celebrations like graduation, ordination, house warming etc., but one celebration that is strange and Nicodemously being introduced to society is 'Divorce Celebration.' Imagine my shock when I saw the invite put out by the Ghanaian couple identified as Nana Sekyere and Evelyne Korateng inviting people to celebrate with them following their divorce. When I thought that was foreign, last weekend photos emerged of a Nigerian lady, Dr Ikea Bello who threw a mini party to celebrate her divorce with a customized cake after parting ways with her husband. In the pictures, the latest divorcee in town is seen rocking a red dress. She also got herself a customized cake with the inscriptions, “I do, I did, I’m done. Divorced at last.”

While some will shout abomination, a deep thinker reflecting on how abuse and violence are rocking many marriages with some not getting out alive, they will grace such occasions, lift up their glasses to a toast and say 'this too na celebration.' Irrespective of what you are celebrating, enjoy, but keep in mind the words of Revelation 19:9 that says 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' For that shall be the mother of all celebration.

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey

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