By Ossom Asaka
UYO
A social worker and school administrator in the state, has advised Akwa Ibom people to always celebrate their parents while they are alive.
Dr Ekaette Ubong Isong gave the advise at the weekend when she, together with her siblings and other family members organised a birthday party to celebrate the 85 years of existence of their mother, Elder Iquo Johnson at their family home in Edem Idim Okpot in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area.
Isong who is the administrator of NESON Schools Uyo, noted that it was wrong for children to always spend huge sums of money and sometime go borrowing during the burial of their parents all in the name of a befitting burial adding that celebrating ones parents while alive, attracts blessings from God.
“I do not know where we borrowed the tradition of celebrating someone only at death whereas the best thing to do is to celebrate them while they are alive.
“As parents who spent their time, money and energy to ensure we grow to become useful in life, I strongly believe that the best time for us to celebrate them and tell them thank you for all the sacrifice is when they are still alive and not at death,” Isong stated.
The school administrator, who described her mother as the bravest woman she has ever come across, thanked God for preserving her to see her 85th birthday adding that her success and that of her siblings is as a result of the good morals the mother taught them coupled with the grace of God.
She prayed God to continue to protect the aged mother and imbue her with sound health even as she expressed appreciation to all the guest for turning up in great number to celebrate their mother.
Earlier in his short exhortation, Pastor Godwin Obot, who preached on the theme: Your New Chapter Is Here, urged the faithful to always trust in God and His ability to turn things around even when all hope is lost stressing that God alone has the final say in the affairs of men.
Obot who took his message from the book of Mark Chapter 10 vs 46-52 said, long life was a blessing from God, noting that with God all things were possible to them that believe.
The eldest daughter of the celebrant, Mrs Alice Udom in her toast, applauded their mother for all her prayers and sacrifice stressing that her loving and caring nature was second to none.
She gave thanks to God for sustaining the celebrant and expressed optimism that she will live to witness many more years in good health.
Speaking shortly after cutting her 85th birthday cake, the celebrant, Elder Iquo Johnson, said she owe all to God who has nurtured her as an only child of her parents to becoming a mother of many children as well as a custodian of many grandchildren.
She admonished the children, her grandchildren and the guest to always pay heed to God’s commandment, be humble in life as well as show love to one another to be able to attract God’s blessings.
The well attended birthday bash featured song ministration by NESON School Mass Choir, short drama by the J6 kids, song by the Udoms as well as games.
High point of the celebration was the presentation of Christmas packages to some selected widows drawn from Ikot Udo Street in Edem Idim Okpot Village by Dr Ekaette Isong.
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