Special Tribute To My Mother, Noble Lady Theresa Echaka Enamhe KSJ, JP, “An Amazon Like No Other”

It’s a life that should be celebrated and remembered as one filled with love.

Mama, you left us with beautiful memories.

Your Love is still my guide, my appreciation goes to you eternally.

A quote by Susan Wiggs aptly captured my feelings and the vacuum that I feel “There is something about losing your Mother that is permanent and inexpressible – It is a wound that will never quite heal”

Mama, you were a precious gift from God to us and to mankind.

You expressed and possessed so much beauty, grace, love and patience.

You touched my heart in so many ways, you had inner strength.

Your strength and smile even on dark days made me realise that I have an angel beside me.

I will forever salute you Mama because you have been all I ever needed. God gave me the best Mum in the World. You taught me to never give up on my dreams but persevere no matter how hard the storms may be… I Miss You Ma.

Now, I know why you always told me to be strong, because you knew…

Yes, you knew that one day I would need the strength to bear your loss…

I MISS YOU MA….

YES…Death changes everything!

Time changes nothing…

I still miss the sound of your voice,

The wisdom in your advice,

The stories of your life and just being in your presence.

Time changes nothing!

I miss you as much today as I did the day you died.

I MISS YOU MA

Mama, you embraced the truth.

You showed your children what determination, ambition and hard work look like.

You showed us what balance, commitment and loyalty represents.

You showed the young women the example of what it looks like to be a Christian woman.

Living out God’s calling for your life is a worthy lessons for us who are alive.

You exhibited all the qualities of a virtuous woman as expressed in the biblical scriptures in Proverbs 31:10-31

I pray we find time to read this scripture.

Watching my Mother work, was incredibly inspiring. I saw her manage the family with astute finesse applying the requisite professional motherly touch and balance where needed.

She taught me how to be dedicated and have a passion for my own personal education and how to not only communicate but confront my challenges

I remember as if it was yesterday, how Papa will get angry at my consistent failures and you will hide and give me money to go back to school

You loved academics, you loved hard work and envied no one

Sitting up at your wake-keeping to put this down, I have so much joy knowing you are with the Lord

Every visitor to the family house in Igoli today, and those who followed us to the mortuary via St Thomas Aquinas church had a kind word for you, Mama de Mama!

I saw your friends at the vigil, I saw all the Lady Knights, your children and grandchildren were all here complete looking sad but happy you died peacefully

Mama; I am grateful, yes Papa was a strict disciplinarian but you provided the succour and the cushion to not only mitigate the situation but ameliorated those harsh moments.

You get up early and go to bed late.

Your life was a constant juggling act between work and family.

You never got any breaks!

I watched you juggle between going for your business and still find time to spend with family.

I watched you handle stress, commitment, family and friends. You balanced your entrepreneurial skills to get results.

Mama, you could wake up as early as 4:00am and travel to Besenge in Utanga to buy and sell bush meat also, travelling to Zakibiam, Gboko, Katsina Ala and several other markets in the environs, were routine for you Mama to buy dry fish, and to Wula in Boki to buy okazi and ogbonno and on the same day end up in Okuku or Ugidi market.

Mama you did everything to support us financially, emotionally and ensured that our voyage through school though precarious was seamless, we didn’t lack anything in Mary knoll

Mama, you were a positive role model for your children, the family and the community, you engaged well with your family, relatives and the world at large.

Mama was always thinking Cross River.

You balanced the traditional family values and responsibilities with other engagements

There are not enough words I can say to describe just how important you were to me and what a powerful influence you continues to be.

Mama my mind still talks to you, my heart still looks for you my soul knows you are at peace

On Papa’s vigil, recall we laid together all night by his corpse, but today I went in there thinking I could lie down by your side but sadly I couldn’t ask you to shift again as it was in Papa’s vigil.

My Mother, you were a Woman of Faith. An Amazon like no other.

Mama, please can we ever dance again?

I would love a last dance!

Adieu Mama!

Dorncklaimz Enamhe is Senior Special Assistant, Communications and Branding to Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade.