Dear Sonshine,
I love you.
You have made the last thirteen years of motherhood awesome and blessed. I thank God each time I think of you.
Your father is honorable, diligent, smart and God-fearing. He told me about you as soon as we started off our relationship. He assured me that he would be there for you as a friend and as a father. He expressed his desire to see me mother you. I accepted the call. I prayed for grace. I was scared but he was there to put things in order.
And when the time for us to meet dawned, you called me auntie. I thought you would never embrace me as your mother. Your silence when we were together almost put me off. I questioned my parenting style every time I saw you laugh with your dad and show up gloomy with me. Time. I gave you time. Space. My son you allowed me space to think and outgrow my fears.
On that day I attended your school’s parents meeting and your teachers asked where your father was you presented me as your mummy. When you stood on stage to receive your International School of Kenya Best Student of the Year award you called me to accompany you and introduced me to the world. I was humbled. Those tears of joy were a genuine expression of what I felt then. May you scale the heights of scholarship to be a PhD holder.
You have made me a proud mother. You are the best big brother to your siblings and they cherish you. With you, I have never considered myself a step-mother. What does a mother want of a son?
You are attentive.
You are ambitious.
You are considerate.
You are creative.
You are a child of integrity.
You are focused.
You are smart.
You are gentle.
You are God-fearing.
You are generous.
You are obedient.
You are thoughtful.
The blessing that you are Dylan M. is irreplaceable to your mom, your dad and I. We will support you and walk with you through life. Don’t we just marvel at your sense of humor when you are explaining concepts to us? I call you my Chomsky because you appeal to my linguistic spot.
My son, I am glad that together we have shown the world that there are good step-mothers existing. My prayer for you is that you continue being the best version of yourself, reach for your dreams and goals. I can’t wait for you to take your dad and me around the world as you always say.
This is a reminder to you that our love lives on.
All the best,
Your mummy, Imma.
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Immaculate Ajiambo Nafwa is a global teacher of English and Literature, a children’s literature writer, translator, storyteller and service learning advocate. She is passionate about technology, education and promotes the reading culture among young people through different initiatives.
Read – Tapiwa’s journey – A Children’s Literature by Pelekani Lwenje, Zambia
