THE GIRL NAMED PEACE - by Oluwakemi Lijofi

Have you ever stopped to think and realize that there's so much to be grateful for? This moment is my own personal time for reflection. Lately, I've been feeling so much alive, energetic and there is this kind of strength I feel that I haven't experienced in a very long time. This has given me a reason to pause and appreciate life. Sometimes, we focus so much on the things we want to do, places we want to reach and the dreams we want to accomplish and forget that there are things we've done, milestones we've crossed and that we still have our lives to chase dreams. So today I'll be reflecting on my journey, the experiences that shaped me and things that make my story uniquely mine ❤️🥺. And this takes me to a story my mum told me about a quiet little girl I was even before I entered this world. 🥰According to her, I made no movements at least none that she noticed in her womb until after six months. She was worried but the doctors kept saying her baby is fine. Even after six months the movements I made were rare. Once I was born, she named me based on her experience in carrying me *Peace**She named me Peace* Yes, I am Peace. A name can carry a story from the very beginning of someone's life and that's very interesting. Now it's been eighteen years. I am here still thinking about how much that name resonates with me, learning more about myself, trying to chase dreams while still maintaining my *Peace*.Being peaceful doesn't make you weak I am peaceful but never without fire My dreams keep burning within me even in days when I don't feel motivated, I have goals to accomplish and a future I'm willing to protect at all costs. I can be quiet and still have a full grown idea running through my head I can be calm and still chase fiercelyI can be a girl of peace and still have the heart of a warrior. Because there is no way your peace can remain without you protecting it intentionally. Today I'm eighteen. As I grow older I've understood peace isn't about having a life without problems but still finding the strength to continue even in difficult times.Still knowing there are better days even when life doesn't go as planned Appreciating the little things while trusting God for the bigger picture. I've been through days when life felt heavy. They've been days when I forgot what it feels like to be strong and all I could do was hope for better days.Regardless of everything, I'm here,Still growing,Still learning (there's still a whole lot to learn)Still becoming,Still dreaming,Still discovering beautiful versions of myself,Fierce while still maintaining my Peace and not losing my softness. I'm grateful, not because my life has met perfection, but because I'm here, still able to experience life, able to write my own script (I don't need society to do that for me) , and become the woman I'm still hoping to be. ❤️ The girl I am today needs to be celebrated and I'll celebrate her so that the woman she eventually becomes would be grateful for how far she has come and how much of a fulfilled life she has lived.I'm grateful for every milestone crossed and every victory no matter how little. Today, as I reflect on the name my mother gave me, I have come to understand Peace is more than just a name I answer to, it's a reminder of the kind of woman I want to be, the kind of life I want, and the kind of feeling I want in every room I enter. I'm hoping to become a person, the girl I am now would be proud of- calm but fierce, peaceful and ambitious. Here is to eighteen 🥂🥂. To Oluwakemi. To the girl who made it this far, happy birthday ❤️To the girl who is becoming, happy birthday 💕To the girl who is grateful for life, happy birthday 🩵To PEACE, happy birthday 🤍*Happy Birthday Oluwakemi Peace Lijofi*

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