A letter from Feb 26, 2026

Dear FutureMe, Today I remember my Dad .. And even now, saying that Daddy is no longer here still feels unreal. There are days it feels like yesterday. The day our world shifted. The day we had to become stronger than we ever imagined. The house feels different. The air feels heavier. There’s a kind of silence that words cannot explain. Losing him didn’t just break our hearts , it changed our lives. I still replay memories in my head , his voice, his laughter, the way he handled things so confidently. I didn’t know how much he was holding together until he wasn’t here anymore. We saw Mum carry pain with quiet strength. We watched her hold herself together for us, even when she was falling apart inside. I hope today, as I read this, she is lighter. I hope her smile is real and not forced. I hope we gave her the comfort and security she deserves. And my siblings… I hope grief didn’t harden our hearts. I hope we didn’t drift apart because of stress and responsibility. I hope we learned to lean on each other instead of carrying everything alone. I hope we choose love over pride and understanding over anger . But tell me, Future Me… What happened to Daddy’s business? Is it still standing? Did i protect it with integrity? Did i grow it beyond what he imagined? I hope i treated it not just as a source of income, but as a piece of him. Did it survive? Did we struggle? Did we almost give up? Or did we fight through the fear and keep it alive? I pray i didn’t let his hard work fade away. And his building project… is it completed now? Does it stand tall as proof that his dreams did not die? I picture myself walking through it, touching the walls, and whispering, “Daddy, we finished what you started.” Are we financially stable today? Are we at peace? Did God truly carry us through the storms we thought would drown us? Future me, if you’re standing stronger today — remember this version of us. The version that cried. The version that doubted. The version that prayed desperately for strength. Remember how fragile you felt. Remember how hard you fought. Remember how deeply you loved him. And if you’ve become the woman he would be proud of confident, responsible, kind, resilient then know this: I did not let his absence destroy me I let it shape me . My Daddy may not be here physically, but his values, his discipline, his dreams, and his name live through me So I stand tall today. Honor him. Protect the family. And never forget where we started. With strength, faith, and love, To my Future self Alaeto chidinma Berit 🤍