Just yesterday evening, in Ellicott City, Maryland in the United States, I had the very great honour of walking my first daughter, Alex, down the aisle, as she said “I do” to her sweetheart, Eric Mcgil.
If you googled the name, Alex Okoroji, you may find the following listing: ‘Alex Okoroji is a Nigerian Actress, Writer, Television Personality, Talk Radio Host, Speaker, Author, Mentor, and Podcaster also known as the ‘Queen of Expression’”.
What Google might not tell you is that the “Queen of Expression” is in a very big way, the apple of her father’s eye.
I am almost certain that Google will also not tell you that I am the number one fan of this multi-talented, multi-tasking and intellectually restless young woman, who remains my little baby, despite the vast territories she has conquered.
I am awed by the breath of skills embedded in that beautiful head. Let me give you a few examples. When people want to humour me, they tell me that I am a gifted writer. But I know that if push comes to shove, my daughter can write me out of town.
Everybody knows that I cannot act to save my name. And so, I wonder where Alex inherited her exceptional acting gift.
I have tried very hard to master at least one of the popular design apps: CorelDraw, Acrobat, Adobe Express, PDF Reader, Gravit Designer, etc., and each time I have tried, I have failed woefully. So, how is it that my daughter can produce incredible designs with so much ease and panache?
Oh, my daughter is a workaholic. She is a ball joggler, fully engaged in so many different things at the same time. She practically does not sleep. I keep praying that she does not burn out. The problem is that I am a very bad example. Just like me, Alex is an activist promoting many women initiatives across the globe. She wants to change the world. This is the one thing I am sure she inherited from me. My friends will tell you that I am an incurable workaholic.
At birth, I gave my first child the name Alexandra, the female variant of my first name, Alexander. In the family however, she is better known as Ada, the short form of her mother’s middle name, Adaeze.
And so yesterday, friends, family and in-laws from far and near, gorgeously dressed, honoured me, my wife, daughter and Eric with their presence at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, Maryland. It was a masterfully planned event. Happiness was in the air and everyone danced and danced and danced. To put it mildly, my daughter made me proud.
The friends of Alex know that she has tried marriage before, at a much younger age. Despite her best efforts, it did not work, but the relationship produced my first grandson, Raymond, fondly called “Dr. Ray” by the family and “Chairman” by me. “Dr. Ray” joined me to proudly walk his mother down the aisle yesterday.
For a while, I had prayed for my daughter to find love again. Last December, we travelled to the U.S. to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my wedding to her mother, the beautiful Queen Mary. On the trip, we also welcomed the birth in Dallas Texas by Andrea, the wife of my son, Tony Jnr, of our brand-new grandson whom I had pre-named ‘Tony Okoroji, the 3rd”.
It was on the trip that Alex brought Eric to meet me. One look at Alex and Eric, I knew that Cupid had fired an arrow and the arrow had hit bull’s eye. Alex and Eric had found love again. Yes, Eric had also tried marriage before and it did not work. Eric who shares my passion for intellectual property, has since become my good friend. Yesterday was not just Eric’s wedding day. It was his birthday.
Do you know that I nearly did not make it to Maryland to be with Alex and Eric on their important day? My passport had expired. My visa had expired. The cost of travel has become frightening. It all looked bleak. I had to look in the mirror and ask myself: “Are you not the man who drives on a full tank of faith?” Once again, the good Lord answered my prayers. My passport got renewed at the last minute. I got a visa at the last minute and lo and behold, I found myself aboard Virgin Atlantic to Washington DC.
While I was packing my bags, news came that my middle daughter, Chika, married to Josh, had given me the present of a new grandson in Baltimore, Maryland. Wow!
There is so much celebration all around me that I have had to ask myself, ”what exactly have I done that the good Lord seems to have singled me out for so much blessings?”
Please do not misunderstand me. I have not won the lotto, neither have I built a mansion in Maitama, Banana Island or anywhere else. I still struggle like a lot of Nigerians to buy the very expensive fuel, pay the galloping electricity bills, get food to eat at some meaningful price and go through the day praying not to become a victim of kidnappers and bandits.
The good Lord has however given me two of the most important things I have asked of Him. He has given me the grace to use the work I do, to touch the lives of many people who have little. In many times of trial, He has been there for me.
You can also see that the good Lord has given me human assets that no money can buy. While I live in Nigeria and will continue to live in Nigeria, God has given me three great sons-in-law, all in the U.S., Sam, Josh and now, Eric. I got married at 25 years and now have four grand-sons and two grand-daughters in America. What else should I ask of the good Lord?
Please friends, join me today, to thank the Almighty for his non-stop blessings to me and my family.
See you next week.
