13. Thank you for every bedtime story that opened my imagination. 14. Thank you for involving me in house chores, teaching me to cook from an early age, and the opportunity to help take care of Daddy and our family. I look back with nostalgia and pride at those moments, especially during 4 o’clock tea time, which was always my favorite — especially when Daddy’s friends came by. 15. Thank you for your laughter that filled my mornings with sunshine, and for the gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) reminders when I didn’t complete my chores on time. 16. Thank you for teaching me, at a very young age, to appreciate the smallest acts of kindness, the value of sharing, and for instilling in me the simple yet powerful words: “please” and “thank you.” 17. Thank you for your patience as I asked endless questions during my nursery school days. 18. Thank you for cheering at my nursery school and church plays and clapping the loudest. 19. Thank you for making home the safest place in the world. 20. Thank you for helping me with my homework in primary school, even when you were tired, and for encouraging me to always do my best — not necessarily to be the best — which inspired me to set my personal goals. 21. Thank you for your soft corrections that made me better without breaking me 22. Thank you for teaching me forgiveness before I truly understood it. 23. Thank you for every encouraging word that built my confidence during primary school days. 24. Thank you for showing me what it truly means to put family first. Even though you were devoted to the Anglican Church, and cherished your time with the “Anglican Mafia,” you chose to embrace and join Daddy’s Catholic faith so that we could worship together as a family. You wanted to give us, especially the children, a stable place to grow in faith while gently encouraging Daddy to be part of it too. Your decision was a pure act of love, and unity — a quiet sacrifice that spoke louder than words, reminding us that true faith is not about where we worship, but whom we go with and how we keep our family bound together in love and grace. 25. Thank you for teaching me life lessons both big and small with love, discipline, and legendary kitchen rules — like the sacred rule of Ghanaian kitchens: never put a wet ladle into freshly made shito. And, even more importantly, that a bad attitude has consequences. I learned both lessons the hard way the day before leaving for FormOne - a day already soaked in nerves, excitement, and teenage bravado. One ill-timed response, one slight hint of rudeness, one little eye-roll... and kwaa! — next thing I knew, I was holding my cheek, crying, while Daddy rushed in like a superhero who had arrived one scene too late. In his attempt to find me something else to eat, you stopped him with a single look that said, “she must learn!” Then came the dramatic married-couple debate over it. Looking back, I laugh… and I also understand. Now, I don’t feel the sting — because behind that smack was love, intention, and a woman determined to raise a respectful daughter with backbone. That smack came with just a dash of holy anointing shaping me, preparing me, and teaching me that good manners and humility are non-negotiable. And for that, I am truly grateful. 26. Thank you for trusting me to grow while still guiding me firmly through my secondary school days. Your balance of freedom and discipline shaped my confidence and responsibility. 27. Thank you for listening when my teenage thoughts were tangled in confusion. Your patience and understanding helped me find my voice. 28. Thank you for believing in me, especially in the moments when I doubted myself. Your faith in me became the strength I didn’t know I had. 29. Thank you for standing by me through the awkward stumbles, inevitable mistakes, messy missteps, and the moments I wished I could erase. You never judged, never scolded unnecessarily — you simply showed me that life isn’t about being perfect. It’s about rising again and again after every stumble, with courage in my heart, lessons in my hands and learning to laugh at myself along the way. Because of you, I learned that mistakes don’t define me —my resilience and willingness to keep going do. 30. Thank you for attending every Holy Child School prize day with The Birthday Journal 189
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