Writing this tribute is no doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. To say that I am devastated, only represents a fraction of what I truly feel inside. Yemisi is known as my cousin/sister/bestie, and she embodied all those roles and more. I spent the last week trying to wrap my mind around moving forward in this life without her. Yemisi was such a big part of my life and we had SO many plans. Every decision I made, I made with her. Whether it was picking a photo for me to post on IG, what to eat for lunch, which shoes I should buy or what job I should take. She was always my confidant and my sanity checker.
Since we were children, Yemisi has always been a force to be reckoned with. She had a hard-shell exterior and is known for her sharp-tongue. BUT underneath that, she was a gentle, loving teddy bear. She was someone who would go above and beyond for those she loved. The idea of seeing a loved one struggle was impossible for her because she made sure she always had the means, energy or time to lend a helping hand. It was so common to see Yemisi go out of her way to be there for her friends and family. As the little sister/baby cousin, Yemisi and Linda were always so protective of me. They would come to visit us in Baltimore and the first thing they wanted to do was see about my neighborhood bullies. And of course, Yemisi was the ringleader, because she does not play about family.
When Yemisi moved to DC for law school, she still saw me as her baby cousin and didn’t realize we could actually hang out. So, one night, she took a break from her studying and came to party with me and my friends at Morgan State. She ended up having the time of her life and the rest was history. From that point on we would get together at least once a month for a weekend of fun. I would spend the weekend at her place, and we would party the whole weekend. It got to the point where you wouldn’t see her out and about without me and vice versa. It was when I was pregnant with my son, that our friendship really matured. Even though she didn’t have a child at that point, she was there for me through everything I went through. She would stay on the phone with me every day at work via FaceTime to check on me and make sure I was ok. Not a day of my pregnancy went by where she didn’t call me, that support she showed me didn’t seem like a big deal to her but it really meant so much to me.
As our lives continued to blossom/change, we were always there for each other. If she needed a date for an event, I was there for her. If I needed someone to talk to about anything at all, she was there for me. I was able to talk to her about anything. We would roast, gist, talk about self-improvement, how to level up at work, spirituality, fashion, makeup. We could literally talk about any and everything. She was my one-stop shop. I am going to miss that so much. I’m going to miss our daily conversations, our weekend outings, our shopping trips, our vacations, sharing our hauls, the list goes on. I’m going to miss walking into a room with her and seeing how her presence shifted the energy whether it was with her sexy strut, big smile, or funny jokes. That was Yemisi.
It was an honor watching her grow into this amazing woman, she was: brilliant, confident, generous, loving, and loyal. Those are the words that I use to describe her and that’s how I will remember her. I am so proud of the woman she became. I admired her strength as she battled her illness with so much class, grace, poise, and dignity. She had every intention of beating this cancer and sharing her testimony. But God’s plan was different.
I feel like her life was just beginning. She had just successfully graduated from the newlywed phase of her marriage. She was blessed with her beautiful baby boy. She was figuring out her career. And it just seemed like her life was cut too short. But, honestly there would’ve been no good time for me to lose someone like Yemisi. I am trying to grasp the fact that, I will never understand why God does things the way that he does. The things that help me cope are that she is no longer in pain and that she left a piece of her in Edikan David Bassey, who I view as my 3rd child. I vow to ensure that her legacy will always be remembered and she will never be forgotten. She will forever live on in me and my children as well. I love and miss you so much Yemisi. I am looking forward to the day that we will meet again.
Comentarios