DAY 4 of 10 DAYS OF GRATITUDE Grateful for: Family — Past, Present & the Ones Walking Beside Me

Some members of our clan

Grateful for: Family — Past, Present & the Ones Walking Beside Me

June is our family’s birthday month — mine on the 21st, my niece on the 22nd, my brother on the 23rd, and my son on the 30th. It’s like a divine reminder that God didn’t just give me life, He surrounded me with family to journey with.

Today is my brother’s birthday — just a day after mine — and that bond has always felt special.
There’s something sacred about sharing childhood, roots, and memories with someone. Even when life takes us in different directions, family remains a kind of home you carry within.

I’m especially grateful for my brother:

• For the laughter, childhood fights, and inside jokes.

• For his quiet strength.

• For the way he celebrates others, even when he doesn't say much.

• And for the yearly reminder, through our close birthdays, that God gives us people, not just life.

But gratitude for family goes beyond just today.

I’m grateful for my dad—though he’s late, his impact is still loud in my life.
He took education seriously and made sure we got the best. I believe he truly thought that being bright and diligent was all it took to thrive in the world. That belief shaped so much of who I am.
His passing broke me in a way I didn’t expect.
For a while, I lost my drive. I couldn’t understand the point of working hard when the one person I wanted to make proud was no longer there to see it.
But in time, I’ve come to see that his legacy wasn’t just in presence—it’s in what he deposited in me.
Now, I live to honour that legacy.

To my sweet mum—the ever-strong, ever-practical Margaret Tacha.
We haven’t always seen eye to eye, but now I understand: her toughness, her firmness, her standards—that’s her version of “I love you.”
It’s not always wrapped in soft words, but it’s consistent, present, and fierce in its own way.
And honestly? I’m grateful for that kind of love.

To my siblings, nieces, and nephews—you remind me that I’m growing older.
That I’ve gone from the one looking up to aunties and uncles, to the one others now look up to.
Phew.

And this story wouldn’t be complete without my incredible maternal family:

• Grandpa, Professor J.I. Okogun – the pillar that holds our extended family together. His wisdom, calm presence, and legacy still ripple through us all.

• Aunty Isi Okogun-Ozekhome – our very own Wall Street Queen. A solid role model to the younger generation. I somehow found favour in her sight, and I truly love and cherish that bond. She inspires without even trying.

• Uncle Erabor Okogun (or as I lovingly call him, Uncle Lulu) – the one whose doors are always open to all of us. He naturally carries the role of big brother—stepping in with guidance, support, and business advice without ever feeling entitled to your progress. He shows up, quietly and consistently.

It’s the layers of all these people that have shaped me—deeply, uniquely, and beautifully.

So yes—today, I’m grateful for family.
For the ones I was born into.
For the ones God gave me.
And for the ones I now help raise and inspire.

Happy Birthday to my brother.
Thank you for being part of my story.
And to my family—thank you for grounding me, stretching me, and showing me what love, growth, and resilience look like.

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Gratitude Check-In:
➡️ Who in your family are you grateful for today?
➡️ Is there someone you now see more clearly with hindsight?