Dear Diary, I’m Another Year Older… and Honestly, God Has Been Good

Dear Diary,

So… my birthday was on the 8th of August. Yes, I know. This birthday reflection is a little late. 😂 But honestly, I think I needed a few days to sit with everything before attempting to put this particular year into words. There is something about birthdays that makes me pause. I don’t just think about the number I am turning, but about the woman I have been, the woman I am becoming, the people who have walked with me, the doors God has opened, the ones He has closed, and all the little moments in between that somehow make up a whole year of living.

And what a year it has been. If I had to describe my last year in one sentence, I would probably say: God really said, “Let me show you what I can do.” There were wins. There were losses. There were moments that made me laugh until my stomach hurt and moments that made me sit quietly and wonder what on earth I was doing. There were beautiful surprises, new beginnings, lessons I did not ask for, and blessings I certainly did not see coming. But when I look back at it all, I cannot help but smile because, somehow, through all of it, the Lord was good.

One of the biggest highlights of my year was gathering people with my husband, Ebe, to celebrate our love. There was something incredibly special about being surrounded by people and celebrating something that means so much to me. Marriage has its own adventures, let's not pretend otherwise, but being able to look around and realise that we have built a life, created memories and gathered people around us to celebrate our love? That was beautiful. Honestly, it was probably one of my favourite moments of the entire year.

And then there were the random little wins that deserve their own round of applause. 😂 I finally learned how to use Lightroom and CapCut properly. And when I say properly, I mean ADVANCEDLY. Please don't laugh at me! I have been in the creative industry for years and somehow there I was, discovering editing features like I had just been introduced to electricity. 😂 But hey, we celebrate growth in all its forms. I can now edit a video and manipulate a photo with confidence, so please clap for me accordingly.

Beyond the creative skills, though, this past year gave me something much more precious: people. I gained new sisters and brothers, and I honestly don't take that for granted. I love the random calls, the conversations, the laughter and even those moments when I get to talk to my nieces and nephews. There is something so beautiful about having people you can call family and knowing that, even when distance separates you, love somehow closes the gap.

I also had the privilege of being able to take care of my grandfather, which has been one of my biggest priorities. There are certain things in life that don't necessarily make it onto Instagram, don't become achievements you announce to the world and don't come with applause, but they matter deeply. Being able to show up for someone you love, to care for them and to be present when it matters, that is a blessing in itself.

And then Japan happened. Well… Japan continued happening. 😂 I found new friends, made new connections and somehow ended up with a sisterhood that has brought me so much joy. I don't think I realised just how much I needed people around whom I could simply be myself. No performance. No pretending. No trying to fit into some version of myself that I thought would be more acceptable. Just me.

And these women? They have brought out a side of me I didn't even realise had been hiding. Suddenly, I am going out. I am laughing more. I am making plans. I am saying yes to things. I am putting myself out there. I am creating memories instead of constantly overthinking them. 😂 And honestly, I love it.

There is something so freeing about learning to enjoy the moment instead of always analysing it. Learning to laugh loudly. Learning to be silly. Learning to love people while they are here. Learning that life doesn't always need to be deep and profound. Sometimes you just need to dress up, go somewhere with your girls, eat good food, take ridiculous pictures, laugh until you can't breathe and go home with memories that will make you smile years later.

I even got to celebrate my birthday with some of these beautiful women this year, and they absolutely showered me with love. And the gifts? My goodness! The thoughtfulness behind some of them genuinely touched my heart. It wasn't just about receiving something; it was about knowing that someone had thought about me, paid attention to me and intentionally chosen something because they knew it would make me happy.

Those are the things I treasure. I deeply love these women, and I am grateful for the way they have reminded me that friendship can be tender, joyful, intentional and safe. They are teaching me how to love and laugh in the moment, how to put myself out there and how to allow myself to simply live.

But birthdays, as beautiful as they are, also have a funny way of reminding you that life is made up of both celebration and grief. This birthday was bittersweet.

While I was here celebrating another year of my life, back home in Zimbabwe, my family was gathered to celebrate the life of my late grandmother, my gogolojo, and to unveil her tombstone. My grandmother used to call us maura angu. For those who don't speak Shona, that literally translates into something along the lines of "my intestines." 😂 It might sound hilarious when translated into English, but there was so much love in that phrase. It was her way of saying that we were her insides, her people, her very own. We all came from her.

And sitting with that thought on my birthday made me emotional. I found myself thinking about all the memories I shared with my grandmother. The little things. The conversations. The moments that seemed ordinary at the time but have become precious now that I can no longer create new ones with her.

I had one of those quiet moments in the shower that probably looked very dramatic from the outside. 😂 Just me, the water running, my thoughts running even faster and a few tears quietly making their way down my face. Sometimes grief arrives like that. Not with an announcement. Not with a warning. Just a memory, a smell, a song, a familiar phrase or a birthday that suddenly reminds you of someone who isn't here anymore. And that's okay.

I don't want to spend this birthday reflection dwelling on the negatives, though. There is so much more to celebrate. Because despite everything, I am here. I am alive. I am growing. I am learning. I am loving. I am creating. I am making friends. I am building relationships. I am showing up for the people I love. I am discovering new parts of myself. I am becoming more comfortable with who I am, and perhaps most importantly, I am learning to appreciate the life I have while I am living it.

There is still so much I could unpack from the past year. There are stories I can't share here, battles people don't know I fought, prayers I whispered quietly and things that happened behind the scenes that only God and I know about. But today, I choose gratitude.

Because the Lord has been good to me. Not because everything was perfect. Not because I got everything I wanted. Not because there were no disappointments or heartbreaks. But because even in the uncertainty, He kept me. Even in the losses, He taught me. Even in the waiting, He strengthened me. And even in the moments when I didn't understand what He was doing, He was still God.

So as I step into another year of my life, I don't have a long list of demands for God. I simply want more of Him. More spiritual growth, more wisdom, more discernment, more love, more courage, more laughter, more meaningful experiences, more memories with the people I love and more opportunities to serve, create, give and make a difference.

I want to let go of the past and release the people and situations that no longer serve me or the purpose God has for my life. I want to stop carrying things simply because I have carried them for a long time. Some things have served their purpose, some relationships have taught their lessons, and some chapters simply need to end so that new ones can begin.

This year, I want relationships that feel like love. Tender love. Intentional love. Caring love. The kind of love where people show up, listen, celebrate one another, correct one another with grace and genuinely want to see each other thrive. I want to be that kind of person too.

And perhaps that is one of the biggest reflections of this birthday: I am not just celebrating another year added to my life. I am celebrating the woman I am becoming. A woman who is learning to enjoy the moment, who is learning that she doesn't have to have everything figured out, who can cry in the shower and still wake up grateful the next morning. 😂 A woman who can mourn what she has lost while still celebrating what she has. A woman who is learning to love herself, love people, love life and, above all, love God more deeply.

So here's to another trip around the sun. Here's to the wins I can talk about and the ones I will keep between God and me. Here's to the lessons, the laughter, the new friendships, the family calls, the unexpected adventures, the creative discoveries, the beautiful memories and even the tears.

Here's to the people who have loved me through the seasons. To my husband, Ebe, my family and my friends: thank you from the deepest parts of my heart. Thank you for loving me, supporting me, celebrating me, challenging me, laughing with me and simply being part of my story.

And to my beautiful sisters here in Japan who helped make this birthday so special: I love you deeply. Thank you for bringing out the outgoing girl in me. 😂 I didn't know she was still in there!

Most importantly, thank You, Lord. For life, for family, for love, for friendship, for growth, for second chances, for the things I understand and the things I don't, for the doors You opened and the ones You closed, for the prayers You answered and the ones You are still working on, and for everything You allowed me to experience in the last year.

Asbonge. Praises to the Most High.

Here’s to another year of becoming, believing, loving, laughing, healing, creating and living fully. And if this year is anything like the last one, Lord… please fasten my seatbelt because apparently we're going on another adventure. 😂❤️

Happy birthday to me.

With love,

Me. 🌷