For My Mom

 It’s my mom’s 16th birthday today, and I’m just going to give five reasons on why she’s my number one favourite girl and a phenomenal woman.

1) She taught me how to say sorry

It seems like the easiest thing to do, right? But it isn’t. Saying sorry sincerely means admitting you were wrong in a world where we were taught that older people are never wrong and always know better. My mom taught me that no matter where a person comes from or how old they are, if you hurt someone, you apologise. That lesson is powerful because it takes real humility to admit fault, especially to someone ten or twenty years younger than you. Because my mom was always ready and willing to apologise when she made a mistake or hurt my feelings, I never grew up afraid of accountability. I have never struggled to say sorry because she showed me that being wrong does not make you weak, it makes you human.

2) She has taught me to persevere 

My mom built two successful businesses, raised three children, led a church, and showed up for countless people who needed her help, attention, or support, and yet she still earned her degree. Back then, I didn’t realise how incredibly challenging that must have been, but she did it. And last year, she went even further and completed her master’s degree. Watching my “16-year-old” mom do all of that while raising three kids, working full time, and welcoming a brand-new granddaughter was honestly insane. But she did it.

My mom is constantly looking for ways to improve herself, to take care of her health, and to be intentional about her finances, and it is genuinely awe-inspiring. Anything my mom puts her mind to, she achieves. After giving birth to my little sister, she weighed over 100kg and realised she didn’t want to live her life that way anymore. It wasn’t easy for our household because we all ended up on a diet, but watching her commit to walking 10,000 steps every day, doing Zumba, and eating clean was determination in its purest form. She stayed consistent, she stayed disciplined, and today she has lost the weight and looks absolutely fantastic!!

3)She taught me how to love 

My mom loves herself enough to change, to grow, and to take care of her body as she gets older. She always wears lipstick, even when she is not going anywhere. She honours the temple she has been given, and that is one of the ways she shows love to herself. She is one of those work-from-home people who still gets dressed for the day and never works in her pyjamas.

She taught my siblings and me to wear our hearts on our sleeves. To the world, that can seem like a weakness, being sensitive and deeply in tune with your emotions, but I believe it is a powerful thing. My mother has had her heart broken many times, yet she still loves fully and genuinely. Her past hurt does not affect how she loves those who have never hurt her. She continues to love despite pain. She gives grace just as the Lord has given her grace.

My mom would give her last dollar to a person who needs it more because God has always provided and blessed her with more and that’s the kind of example she has set for her children and grandchild. 

Above all, she taught us how to love God. She tries her best to live like Jesus, and it is truly inspiring to witness. She is the epitome of a Proverbs 31 woman, and I can only hope to be like her when I am 16. She tries to love unconditionally and fully. 

4) She taught me to enjoy my life 

My mom LOVES to have a good time!! She loved to travel and have fun. She loves to host dinner parties and barbecues and she doesn’t need a reason just to hang out and have fun. 

During the summer she takes a walk to the beach to have a quiet moment by herself just appreciates nature and God's goodness in her life. And she’ll call me and say “ RUJO the beach is soooooooo nice today the sun is shining and I took off my shoes and I’m walking on the sand!!” She finds joy in the mundane. Seeing my girl happy makes me happy. 

5) She taught me how to be a friend 

My mom loves her friends downnn!! She taught me to build a community of people that see me and love me for me just like she has. 

I used to get SOO annoyed in high school when she didn’t like my friends and only liked one but funny enough that one is planning to visit my house for probably the hundredth time. 

My mother gives to her friends without expecting them to return, if she’s got it, they got it too. 

I have built a solid sisterhood around me that I can feel comfortable and be fully myself with no judgement. 

We had one of the hardest years of our lives in 2025 and I hope this year will be kind and gentle to my mother because she deserves it.

I love my mom and I hope she feels special on her birthday, because she’s a very special girl. A kind, loving, generous, forgiving woman. She has been a blessing and a wonderful example of how to be a good mom and an even better person. 

Happy birthday Gogo Phure

Love you