A Message To My Unborn Child

Our eyes may be filled with tears, our minds may be an abode of grief, responsibilities may be burdens, our mouths may utter words of lamentation, our arms may embrace situations that are challenging.

Conditions may force us to nod in agreement to tough policies, insecurity may be walking with pride on the street, the future may appear uncertain and the generations to come may seem hopeless, but my unborn child, I shall always find a moment to enlighten.

Child, there is no doubt as to you receiving my first letter; I know very much that you did and I am quite sure you got all the messages contained in it. I know you will be wondering the reason for writing you again. Child the reason is because life is not stable. I never thought I will still have a cause to write you either but in certain extreme situations, it is just essential to inform you what life is all about so that you can alter any destiny that might be tragic now that you can.

Child, the street is filled with distress: the masses are crying day and night, news of bombing have become a daily headline in the national dailies, missing persons are announced on the television and radio every day, poverty seems to have become a Nigerian citizen, robbery is no longer common to urban regions only, villagers too now suffer their raids, even the climate is unsafe as nothing is predictable. I hope the sun will not appear at night one of these days.

Child, I just wrote this to enlighten you about few things and I hope you will look at every single word in this letter with rapt attention as if you are looking into my eyes. Child, please be an advocate of peace, be known as a proponent of truth, eliminate all sources of shady and tainted deals and never sell your conscience for any reward.

Gain people’s trust and never lose it, fight for rights and never join the team that resorts to sword. Child, let challenges make you a better man, let education change you for good, let religion teach you to love, let power teach you to be humble.

Let friendship teach you to share, let pain teach you to be strong, let every breath you take remind you of your creator and let death teach you to value every existence. Child, you are not coming here to compete to be what I, your mother or anybody wants you to be but that which you desire to become.

Watch with care every creature around you: watch out for friends, your best friend might be a fox in a sheep’s skin; your worst enemy might be a man with the noblest of values. If you are given the mandate to rule, do not surround yourself with armies and armours, but with men of intellects and adversaries, with good intent.

Do not be too wise to refuse to pay men for the job you require them to do and do not be foolish to walk into the lion’s den with faith when you have several alternatives. Learn it that there is no shame in asking questions. Child, support those in power if you fall among the common men, but speak against their bad policies.

Be humble if your role is to lead. Overlook people’s faults but do not overlook their efforts. Let every rain remind you of your day of birth and let sunshine retell you that nothing lasts forever. Child, if you want the right results, move with the right people and take the right actions.

I want you to know that it is nobler to be a slave in a wise man’s backyard than to be crowned as the king of fools. Do not be carried away by the intrigues of life, the best way to live is to live in the hearts of men.

My child, learn that it is far more honourable to fail in your quest than to cheat for success. Be aware that you need the determination not to follow the bad truck even if the whole world is travelling on it.

Please, learn how to smile even when you are sad. Learn how to sell your inventions and works of creativity to the highest bidder, but never put a price tag on your dream or heart. Learn the strength of the light pen that is mightier than the iron sword.

Never sell your pride for gold or silver, but share it with that man who deserves it best. Walk away from trouble; never move an inch away from challenges. Beat old records and set new ones, show the world there is more that could be done and that all that can be invented is yet to be invented. Listen to all men but never do what they all say.

Turn your ears against words from gossips and listen carefully to all wise sayings. Child, the pen commands respect while the sword commands fear, please never coerce people against their wills. Child, it is a fact devoid of myth that no man is perfect, so when you come here, just be yourself and do your finest.

Dear child, when I and your mother get old, I want you to be tolerant and patient with us in case our knees get weaker and we will need your help to get back to our feet gently, just as we will do when teaching you how to walk. Child, do not leave us to mutter words to ourselves or soliloquize just because our words no longer hold much meaning.

Remember how we both sit beside your colt those days to listen attentively and smile to every bit of your utterances even though you were drawling. Dress us in thick clothing when it is winter and prevent us from the terrible night cold just as we did when you cannot even speak.

Remind us of beautiful memories, take us on a stroll to a garden of flowers and pure springs, remember how we used to show you picture books and tell you funny stories even when you can only look into our eyes without understanding.

Finally, never fight a man with an iniquity; rather fight the vice in him. Treat your enemies like friends and let his conscience fight him to repent. If mediocrity lies in words, do not utter one, if hypocrisy lies in action, remain a statue.

Remember, you can only restrict a man’s action; you can never limit his thoughts, so when dealing with people use your instinct, inform your heart and see with the eyes of your mind.