Yaa Fatima, forgive me this is coming a day late, but happy belated birthday. You are one of those women who carry grace and humility effortlessly . With you, it has never just been about titles or positions, but about the lives you touch and how people feel after meeting you. Legacy, I am learning, is not noise, It is kindness that lingers long after the moment has passed.
In the course of my work, I have met many women. Some, after making up their face once, I never want to see again no matter how much they are willing to pay. And then there are women whose presence feels like sisterhood, like therapy, like rest. With them, work does not feel like work. Their energy is gentle, reassuring, human. You are one of those people.
What stayed with me most around your birthday was listening to your colleagues speak about you when you were not in the room. They spoke of your kindness, your humility, your generosity, and your patience. It moved me deeply because one of the women said we shld learn to give people their flowers whilst still here . You connect across differences without hesitation. You do not segregate. Christian or Muslim, rich or poor, grassroots or boardroom, you meet people where they are and see them first as human.
In the days leading up to your birthday, I watched you move from one event to another, tired but present, showing up for people with grace. I have seen you travel to remote and sometimes unsafe areas in the course of your work without complaint and without documentation, and that, to me, is courage. You travel in inconvenience and never turn it into content. You carry responsibility silently. You never announce your sacrifices.
If someone did not know you, they would never guess your background or status, because humility leads wherever you go. Being around you is a reminder that character is often the most powerful form of influence. Belated happy birthday to a woman who inspires quietly and deeply, without needing her name in print.
And yes, you looked absolutely radiant. I still don’t know if yellow is your colour or orange, but grace clearly is.
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Gele ~
@georgesnip #mamzabeauty #mamzified
