What is love? Love is..

Clearing my draft 🤗

They would ask me, *"What is love?"* I would tell them love is….

Love is Allah forgiving me every time I sin and blessing me even though I'm not worthy of it, answering my prayers before I even make a request and always coming through for me.

Love is my dad making sure there was bread and tea beside his bed in case any of us woke up hungry in the middle of the night.

Love is my dad escorting me to pee at night even in a lit room, because I was too scared to stay awake by myself (and yes, I was already a teenager then, but he'd wait at the entrance or the toilet for me).

Love is my mom fighting for our rights even at her weakest, she’d rather die than let us be deprived of them. Strongest woman I know fr

Love is my mom fulfilling our needs before hers and prioritizing our happiness over her own. As long as we are happy, she's contented.

Love is my mom detecting from the first “Hello” I say on the phone that I'm not okay, and saying, Jumoke, kilo shey e?

Love is my mom and siblings calling me several times anytime I go out, just to know where I’ve gotten to, and staying glued to the phone until I get there safely.

Love is my brother (H) promising to be a better man for us and making sacrifices for us.

Love is my sister (B) making sure I never lack anything, from childhood till now.

Love is my sister (L) crying with me anytime I'm in pain, and saying the right words, even if her delivery might be harsh.

Love is Reeklaide putting my comfort before hers, as long as I'm okay, she is too.

Love is my brother (R.) making sure I'm always okay and taking me to places I don’t know, just so I wouldn’t get lost (even though he’d later make fun of me and call me JJC).

Love is (R) noticing when I’m not in a good mood and making me promise that I’m alright, that I don’t need anything.

Love is my younger brother (A) allowing me to rant and being empathetic, even if just for a few minutes.

Love is (A) staying awake, waiting at our house junction so I wouldn't have to trek home alone from work.

Love is Kabir massaging my feet every morning and night because he knows how much I enjoy it.

Love is Nafee making sure I see a doctor or take my medicine when I’m ill, it’s Nafee cooking for me and doing my laundry because I was too weak to do so.

Love is Zainab constantly reminding me about my *deen*, and how important my *Akhira* is over my *Duniya*.

Love is Habiba cheering me up and smiling at me every time she sees me, she’s always reminding me to smile. I love her smile too

Love is Ruqoyah giving me a listening ear whenever I need it and offering the best advice. Bug sister for real.

Love is Peace accommodating me on days I have nowhere to go, and making sure I feel comfortable anytime I’m with her.

Love is Aisha making sure I’m well fed and bringing me fruits during Ramadan.

Love is Amina following me to make my hair, because she knows I wouldn’t tell the hairdresser I didn’t like the last style (I didn’t want to hurt her feelings).

Love is Titilayomi completing my words when all I could say was, “I don’t know.” she understand my unspoken words more than anyone else.

Love is Shademide listening to my endless voice notes, morning and night, because she knows I needed to let the steam out and just have someone to rant to.

Love is Shademide reminding me how amazing I am as a friend, and how talented I am, even on days I don’t feel like it.

Love is Aunty B always encouraging me, creating time out of her busy schedule to read my pieces, especially the ones I’m not confident enough to post, and giving feedback too.

Love is Mr. A ensuring I’m utilizing my brain and not being lackadaisical about my future.

Love is Afniki practicing my interview questions with me, even when she has other things to do.

Love is Oyin buying me doughnuts on her way back from work (she knows I’d need something to snack on before dinner) and helping me pick outfits over FaceTime.

Love is Hameedarh dragging me on all *sosho medium* (weird, but I love our banters).

Love is my sister-in-law following me to the market because she knows I’d be scammed if I went on my own, and never letting me feel the absence of my sisters.

Love is Sally letting me use her hand as a stress ball whenever my anxiety hits and reassuring me with “Boo, you got this.”

These things might seem trivial to anyone else, but they mean the world to me. And these are just 1% out of 100% of the love these people have shown me. I am blessed fr

They love me and I feel loved by them too🫶

PS: I wrote this on the 13th of November 2023 at 9:57pm, I found it while going through my note app and nothing has changed since then.