7 Life Lessons I learned from My Sister AKA Tyna Foks

Hi, darlings! It's easter Monday and I can't keep calm cos today is April 17th! The birthday of the one and only Celestina Arebun Foks aka Tyna Foks! 

Reminiscing last night on all the life memories we 've shared, I was overwhelmed. How do I honor and celebrate this first-"fiery"-born of ours. Which words or language can adequately convey the depths of our love, loyalty, and indebtedness to you for molding, bullying and building us up to be formidable women of exploits today. I couldn't find it so I decided to write a post of some of the life lessons I have learned from you, to specially honor you and declare/immortalize my love and loyalty to all and sundry for you in print for the generations-next.

1: Strength:  Your strength of character and self is apparent to most in your world but I have personally witnessed this unbending strength in diverse trying circumstances that would have broken great men eons ago. Time and again I ve seen you go against impossible odds and overcome amazing challenges through sheer strength and watching you over the years I decided I would be no less. Today strength is synonymous with Millicent as a result.  Whenever I even dare to contemplate giving up, your voice in my head becomes the mantra to rally to. Thank you for epitomising strength  sister.  I know this strength will see you to the triumphant end come what may. #NOshaking

2: Faith: Ooh how vexed I was when you gave our first seed on our behalf. My best shoe gone just like that in the name of seed! I saw red and breathe fire. Today I am a top partner because of that seed. Thank you for impacting great faith. We saw you display faith and called things that be not as though they were.  Like magic, it came to pass and we believed.  You fought, bullied, cajoled and prayed and today all your sisters and brother are blood bought spirit filled crazy Christians doing exploits and wonder through faith. Once again thank you.  If only everyone had a sister like you.... . ..... #inspiredbyTynaFoks

3: Love: Menh! I know family is supposed to love one another but the love you have alway had and displayed with unlimited/unvarnished bias towards me is second only to your husband and mom  (this is me been humble lol) This unwavering  love you always displayed whenever push dared to come to shove have become the standard of love in our lives and home today. I certainly didn't settle for less in the choice of life mate or my friends. No middle ground cos that's what I got, felt and learned from you. Thank you for loving me exactly the way I am. All who knows me can testify that that is no easy feat #grin

4: Truth: oh how it pained me sometimes that you always just had to stick to the truth, even if all hell broke loose. How confident I always felt if you were called to witness or testify to anything.  Woe to the person on the wrong end of the truth lane then. At a time in my life when lies seemed to reign supreme your truth mania impressed me and saved me from a sure path of self-destruction.  Once again thank you for been such a great (sometimes hugely annoying) elder sister and setting a great standard for us all

5: Discipline: Man! I can't begin to wax enough lyrics of your self-imposed discipline or the by force discipline you doled out to us freely.  Been just a year younger than you, I took my God given duty to chaff at all reins and frustrates you very seriously and diligently did my best to be exactly the opposite of what you want or think. But you keep at it. All I need to do is lay a bed for you to see the results of your witch hunting sorry scratch that, I meant discipline.  Today am the bane of Sandra life cos of you hehe hehe.

6: Loyalty: Man! Loyalty is one major thing I learned from you that I value most in all humans today. It's "all in" with you when it comes to me always. Thank you!  Having you in my corner is a gift am never complacent about. 

7: Independence: At fifteen you left the luxury and false haven of our home and took the bold step to work as a school teacher for that matter Oooh how our dad ranted and raved for the shame and false glory. But you stood firm cos you said you were sick of been completely financially dependent on anyone. Never mind that you were a kid yourself and should have felt entitled to be taken care of. I watched you collect your first salary and do things you needed no one's permission to do and couldn't wait to finish secondary school so I could also rebel in order to gain my much needed financial independence come hell or high waters. Today all your sisters are strong financially independence women that no man born of woman can claim ownership or supremacy over. None sold their souls to the devil and their bodies to man for anything cos we knew all we had to do is work!  Thank you, this invaluable lesson is my major edge in today's world.

I could go on and on but no epistle can truly express what I and your siblings feel for you.
Suffix to say, we love you. Happy birthday dearest sister, my tynaskibabey of life. You rock always. 

Muaaah!
Xoxo
ⓂMillare aka your sister&formerbaneofyourlife