God has been faithful. If my God is for me then who could ever stop me. It’s been a long road to 26. Yet I’m thankful for all the lessons learned the bitter and the sweet. I’m not where I want to be in life yet but inside I’m where I want to be.
25 was the most unfruitful year for me. Since the end of 2018 life hasn’t been rosy, it has been filled with highs and incredible lows yet 25 was the worst year. I achieved some good things but the year was filled with a thick gloom of depression and anxiety that took me back to my younger years of deep pain and frustration. However, God is great. Even though my plans for a year of great success,triumph and happiness didn’t come true.
I am grateful for the opportunity to learn to love myself truly, not the labels I put all over myself to make me think I was worthy of love. I’ve learned to love myself, the good, the bad and ugly. As well as only the soul that lives within not the things she might, has, can or will accomplish.
I’ve painfully learned to let go of the past and forgive and mostly forgive myself. I’ve learned to throw away my walls and be completely vulnerable, and I’ve gained solid confidence and self believe. Though I’m sad at some big mistakes I knew I shouldn’t have made. I’ve learned that my gut is usually right and to follow it before regrets set in. I’m lucky even though sometimes I complain that I wish the young years were full of bliss to have learned the tough lessons young.
I wanted to share this as part of my birthday message to myself and others to display life doesn’t always go to plan. Sometimes what you think will be blessings can bring great pain,not trusting yourself and betraying your instincts out of fear can lead to great regret. Yet, we must remember we are human and be kind to ourselves. Forgive ourselves and really believe in ourselves.
It took me 25 years to realise I was not comfortable sitting in a box, being safe or secure. I wanted to live freely and joyfully. That meant jumping out of my shell and letting my real self shine. The good, the bad and ugly.
So I say Happy Birthday to a girl, who has stuck by me through thick and thin, encouraged me, pushed me and loves me the most. Myself. I say thank you to her for holding my hand through some traumatic things in childhood,helping me overcome bullying, teaching me to love and believe in myself and fighting through some incredibly hard times when so many voices cruelly put me down. I am a fighter, a phoenix and a flame. I know in the end I will come out on top because I don’t know what give up or give in means. I’m thankful for the love I have from family and friends, sometimes even from strangers, which truly touches me.
So Miss Beauty Queen, Miss Poet, Miss Author of The Black Honey Bee, Miss BA, Miss MA, Miss Freelance Journalist,Miss Senior Writer, Miss Activist, Miss Survivor, Miss lover, Miss Creative, Writer, Speaker, Miss Child of God, Miss full of faith, Miss Jesus lover, Miss Eccentric and Colourful, Miss Unique, Miss Defiant and Miss Free individual spirit, Miss Vibrant and Vivacious and Miss Sense of humour. Happy birthday and thank you for choosing me to be you. There’s no one else I’ll rather be because I really love you. I wouldn’t have accomplished or survived so much without your strength and character.
Girl I hope I make you proud, we are stronger than we have ever been now. Thank you for never being afraid of standing out. That is our superpower. ‘We can throw our hands up because we know that we are a star, we can stand up cause we know just who we are, we never give up, never say die, that’s our girl power.’ (Cheetah Girls). We will always be that 21 century fox and sleeping lioness who doesn’t break or bend no matter what comes our way.
If you would like to purchase my poetry book here is the link to it on Amazon :
Akosua Darko
Senior Writer
A very happy birthday to our beautiful senior writer Miss Akosua Darko. Your contribution to A-CHOICES MAGAZINE since inception is very much appreciated, here to say, we love you and have a wonderful celebration!
A-CHOICES MAGAZINE MANAGEMENT