First, I apologize for the long, unplanned break I took from blogging. Today makes it exactly one month since my last blog post. Life has been happening, and though when this happened in the past, I usually still found time to blog. I don’t know what happened this time around.

2024 is already moving. I can’t believe it’s March already. The first quarter will soon be over. Did you finalize your vision board? Have you itemized your goals for the year? Have you ticked some things off the list? Have you developed a new skill? Have you read a book this year? Have you made more time for your family? Have you prioritized your self-care? I’ll stop with the questions. This isn’t to attack you; it’s to remind you to get to work.

January was a month of new beginnings for me, literally. I dealt with many changes; some were welcomed, and others were unwelcomed. I started the year the way I’ve always wanted to out partying with a countdown into the new year. It was magical!!! I also started classes for a professional course that had been on my to-do list since 2022. I got two new tattoos. I hung out with my sisters more. I started working out again. I travelled to Benin City for work. I went on a couple of dates and got a dose of love from my twins (my brother’s kids). Though I kept overthinking what would come next, it was a good month.

February started with the reminder that my Dad’s remembrance was coming up and going through the planning, and the final event was something I wasn’t ready for. Then there was Valentine’s week, which didn’t go exactly as I thought it would but ended up being sweet. I became serious with my swimming lessons. Guess who can swim now? Me!!! I studied hard! I hung out with my colleagues and friends. I watched the AFCON finals with family and friends. I went on more dates and worked hard, and then February 26th finally came. I gave a tribute to my Dad and announced his passing on Instagram because I didn’t for a whole year. I had so many messages, and I don’t think I’ve responded to them all. We also had prayers at the grave for both my parents on the 28th, and I didn’t realize how heavy February was for me until I saw that I hadn’t blogged since the 8th. The endless family meetings, work, and studying didn’t give me time to write much. In the end, I was ready to move forward in March.

March started on a good note with my second movie night with my sisters. I’ve hung out with friends and family, and I’ve even made time for TV; I watched Mea Culpa, and I’ve been watching the new season of Love is Blind. I’m still studying and working hard, but I’ve made time for writing, too. Though it’s 11:30pm on the 7th of March as I write this, the most important thing is I did.

Happy International Women’s Day to all the women reading this. I hope you keep speaking up, showing up and challenging the status quo. Below are a few posts I’ve written in honour of women.

• Girl, It’s Time
• My Kind of Woman
• IWD: Short Poems For Women
• IWD 2022: Celebrating Women Through Poetry

Have a great weekend.

Mariam Shittu