Dear Diary Moments

On Gratitude, Confronting Fear, and Toxic Traits

It is said that gratitude is one of the cures to the ills of life. In reality, we would prefer to be around thankful people than those who are grumpy all the time. When you take out time to look inward, you’ll find that irrespective of the situation you are in, there’s still a lot to be thankful about. Gratitude, then, ought to be the running theme in our lives.

For me, the year began with a surgical operation that almost took my life. Before going in, I ensured that I put my house in order and gave my husband instructions on what to do with my possessions. Thankfully, all went well, and even though the days following were rough, here I am writing this post.

I‘ve never been big on birthdays, growing up, and I never thought I would make it past 30 years. I had toiled with the idea of death as a child for no particular reason. Birthdays were times of sadness because I felt the clock was ticking, and there was still so much I had not done. But in a few weeks, I would be turning 34; this time, I am looking forward to it with a heart filled with gratitude for the gift of life.

Another thing I am grateful for is the courage to confront my fear finally. Since I had my college education in Nigeria, I needed to convert my license upon my relocation to the US…