Wraps and flowers.

(Don’t) blame Spotify. Now there’s everything-wrapped. When I hear “wrap,” what comes to mind is food (honestly!) like swallow–semo or Eba. Or gifts.

But now? There’s more.

Dating-wrapped, consisting of the what-is and what-should-have-beens. Locked in or lesson learnt. Brain-reset or Rinse-and-repeat. Breakfast served or dinner comebacks. Someone who came into the year without any prospect–even until the first quarter–but wrapping up the year purposefully engaged (true story!)

While some connections seemed promising but ended up as ghost stories, others quietly bloomed into something unexpectedly solid. Wrapped na wrapped, abi? Thank God for life.

Friendship-wrapped, the ones that bloomed and others who drifted, a reminder that it takes more than a couple of ‘me-toos’ to sustain a vital friendship. You see distance? It's sometimes the true test of closeness. And proximity? It's sometimes the real test of how much you love and respect people.

In 2024, I learned that friendships aren't just measured by how often you speak or share common interests, but by the depth of connection you maintain even when time and space pull you apart.

Still, there's hopefully one or two in your corner, and you in theirs, so it counts, too.

Fitness-wrapped—because what’s a 2024 wrap without sweat and sore muscles? Whether it was that one-week (gym) streak that felt like a lifetime membership or the countless promises of “I’ll start Monday” that never made it past Tuesday. You know what I'm talking about, right?

Yours truly has been trying to grow her glutes naturally, and well… it’s been a journey. The inconsistent squats, the ‘abeg-abeg’ lunges, and the recipe for protein shakes that ended up on my Pinterest board more than in my cup!

When there’s life, there's what? HOPE.

Countless other wrapped, but one I have seen but hasn't been placed as such is what I'll call—

The Faith-wrapped.

The “Tobechukwu” and “See what the Lord has done” moments (God bless Pastor Nath!)—the ones you recognized, and others you didn't regard as such.

The prayers and answers received, as well as the quiet in-betweens where God seemed silent but was still working. Those days where the faith-walk felt like a sprint and other days when it felt like it was crawling, but moving forward nonetheless.

God, is Faithful.

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2024 was... a year! I’m holding back on the adjectives to qualify it with. Not because there aren’t any, but today, I don't want to pick up a dictionary. I want to say, “Come on my soul…get up and praise the Lord!”

Was the year stretching? Settling? Blooming? Thank God.

So, here’s to unwrapping it all—flowers.

Flowers—

You, who's reading this, especially if you kept coming back. While my validation comes from the one who sent me–the Lord–you have been a massive encouragement to me on this journey. Thank you. 💐

Fellow writers on Substack, well-done! Thank you for sharing your gift with the world. You are amazing! So many noteworthy mentions, but I won't be doing that today. Nevertheless, your flowers are yours💐.

My family and friends (My community), my rock, the ones who’ve been with me through thick and thin, always offering their unwavering support, love, and prayers. You are the safe haven in my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful. 💐

My Church and spiritual guides, thank you for nurturing my faith, teaching me the depths of God’s love, and helping me grow in my walk. This year, I've been taught how to trust God for anything and in everything. 💐

And to Myself, shouldn't you take the garden? Oh! But that belongs to the The Gardener. I’m only a choice vine (by privilege). I give glory to my King and take my flowers (not the garden). 💐

Speaking of flowers, here to the one I’ll give the honour, “Quality Reader of the year”🏅. Thank you, Bimbo. For always. 💛

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🎙️: I joined my amazing cousin on his podcast some days ago. You can listen to the episode here

Finally, to everyone—Happy (early) new year! It's another year the Lord is ready to crown with His goodness. I won't be active here in January, because I have exams coming up. So, see you all in February 2025 by God’s grace. Xx.

Yours in Quality Time,
Adebola.🦋