A Heart Full of Gratitude, My 61st Birthday Reflection

By: ‘dayo Adedayo

Bí ọmọdé ò kú, àgbà ní dà.
(If a child does not die young, they will live to grow old.)

As I stand on the threshold of my 61st year, I bow my head in reverence, not for what I have achieved, but for what I have survived.

For what I have been given.

For what I have become.

Olúwa, mo dúpẹ́. Lord, I thank You, for Your mercies that endure forever and Your grace that keeps showing up, uninvited, yet always right on time.

When I cast my mind back to the origin of my journey, I cannot help but marvel.

That single victorious sperm, mine, swam against millions to fertilise life. From that miraculous moment, You have preserved me.

Born in the 1960s, when infant mortality was a silent thief in the night, You kept me safe.

Through the perilous birth canal, less than five inches long but lined with stories of lives never lived, You carried me.

When medicine was basic and diseases common, You chose to shield me.

As a crawling toddler grabbing everything in sight and putting it in my mouth, You kept me from poison and peril.

When I stood on wobbly legs and uttered my first words, You were already my silent Guardian.

At age seven, I lost my father, our breadwinner. That loss could have broken me, but You, O Lord, held me together. You’ve been my pillar since then. Through every storm, in every silent night, You whispered strength into my soul.

You sent me friends who became family.

You blessed me with destiny helpers who walked with me across continents.

At a time when I lived more in the sky than on land, flying local and international for my daily bread, Your arms never failed to carry me.

I look at my children, my very blood, and I see perfection. No health scares, no mental anguish. Just divine gifts from a loving Father. How can I thank You enough?

Even in my mistakes, my sins, my failings as a man among men, You poured mercy over judgment.

At sixty-one, I am healthy, whole, and hearty. No ailment holds me hostage. While men my age count pills, I count blessings. What more can I render but praise?

Mélò ni kín kà, nínú ore tí Bàbá ṣe?
How can I ever count the blessings the Father has given me?

To my mother, widowed for 54 years, thank you for embodying strength.

To my siblings, family from both sides, and all my fans, thank you for being part of this journey.

To my dearest friends, my inner caucus, who kept me grounded, focused, and joyful, you are more than friends. You are the fabric of my becoming.

To my ex-wife, I say thank you. Thank you for nurturing my first fruits with love and wisdom. Though paths diverged, respect remains. I will always be grateful for the role fate allowed us to play in each other’s lives.

To my wife, thank you for restoring balance and peace. For the two beautiful souls you’ve given me. They are laughter in my days and light in my nights. I pray to grow old enough to witness their own joys, their weddings, and their children.

To my clients and readers: every book you bought, every image you admired, you put food on my table. You gave meaning to my work. Thank you for believing in my vision.

Sixty was magical. I saw the world like never before.

At sixty-one, I want to show the world my country like never before. Nigeria, in all her raw beauty and hidden grace.

And now, as I breathe in the quiet grace of 61 years… I am 61 years of purpose, grace, battles, victories, falls, risings, and stories.
But inside me still lives the soul of an eighteen-year-old, curious, adventurous, loving, full of dreams and mischief.

I do not count candles, I count mercies.

I do not chase applause, I cherish presence.

I do not boast in years, I marvel at the God who carried me through them all.

To everyone who walked with me, in the shadows of lack or the sunlight of success, thank you for being part of my becoming.

You may never know the depth of your impact, but I carry you in the warm corners of my heart.

And to You, my Father in heaven, the One who saw me before I was formed, who shielded me when I was helpless, who lifted me when I was low, I lay this life at Your feet. Every breath, every step, every heartbeat is a testimony of Your unwavering love.

If I had a thousand tongues, they would still not be enough.

If I had a thousand lifetimes, I would spend them all saying thank You.

Happy 61st Birthday to me, a man graced beyond measure, walking in light, with joy as his companion and gratitude as his song.