By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has urged Nigerians to cherish their parents while they are still alive, as she marked the remembrance of her late mother with an emotional tribute celebrating her strength, faith and character.
Dikeh made the appeal in a post shared on her Instagram page, describing the day as one of the most painful days of her life, even as she chose to celebrate her mother’s life rather than dwell on the grief of her death.
“Today happens to be one of the most painful days of my life. Yet, stepping into God’s grace has taught me that even in the deepest pain, I must learn to trust the Lord and surrender to His will. So today, instead of mourning the woman who was taken from me by death, I choose to celebrate her. I celebrate her strength. I celebrate her beautiful heart. I celebrate her unwavering faith and the way she carried herself before God. Today, I celebrate my mom,” she said.
The actress reflected on her personal experience of growing up without a mother figure, disclosing that she spent 37 years of her life without ever knowing what it felt like to call someone “Mom,” an experience that deepened her appreciation for the word.
“For 37 years, I lived without ever knowing what it felt like to call someone ‘Mom.’ And now, I understand just how precious that word truly is,” she said.
Dikeh urged members of the public still blessed with their mothers to honour, love and appreciate them while they still could, encouraging them to forgive minor disagreements and cherish ordinary moments shared with their parents.
“If you are blessed to still have your mother with you, please honour her. Love her. Appreciate her. Call her. Hold her a little tighter. Forgive the little disagreements. Cherish the ordinary moments, because one day, those little fights and those huge expressions of love may become the very memories you would give anything to experience again. Love your parents. Honour them while you still can,” she said.
She rounded off her tribute with a heartfelt message directed at her late mother, expressing her enduring love and remembrance.
“Mom, wherever you are, I hope you know that you are loved, missed, and forever carried in my heart. Love and light,” she said.
