Papa and Mama’s Beautiful Footprints
(An address to my parents Mr. Innocent & Mrs. Cecilia Ononaji at your 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration, July 2009)

I see your footprints all over
Footprints from your giant foot steps,
Leading the way to a good life

There are the footprints of your love for your family
I hear your teaching about marriage and love everyday,
Well, today we are witnesses to the greatest testimony of your profound love for each other.
CONGRATULATIONS!!

Your love for each other and your family shines though at every opportunity.

Each of your children, you’ve raised to your maximum abilities to be good citizens!
You are always there for us, supportive, lovingly pushing us to succeed in our endeavors, and to be firm in our belief in God.

Ever since I began to know anything,
you have always been and remain my rock.
A few nostalgic times I hope you remember:
like when my older brother and I, received our first holy communion, Mama dressed us so nicely we were like rock stars in the church.

I remember the back to school shopping, the parents’ day visits and pickups from school, and the extramural classes during vacations.

Remember when you mobilized the cultural dance troupe from our village to travel to and support me, in far away Port Harcourt, at a cultural event of our home state students Association (of which I was the leader). When the event’s chairman to-be, suddenly became unavailable, I turned to Papa for help and you revved up the occasion to a maximum success! I was very proud of you.

I remember that papa often had to give me his car so that I can go into the town for school business or pleasure, while he took public transportation to attend to his business.

I still frequently pull out the letters you have written to me over the years, and I derive a great pleasure reading them over. Your wisdom and guidance in those letters ring true to me in these times!

Today, you have not let up in your love for your children.
You have been helping us with our children, your grand children, to the point that you have literally abandoned your home in Nigeria. You watch our kids, your grand children, day or night, cheerfully. Mama is ever ready to come over whenever your ask for her help. If not for your assistance, life would have been tougher on us.

There are the footprints of your kindness and humility
Your love for the human family knows no bounds
Indeed, during the Biafra/Nigeria war, your home was frequently used as a clinic and feeding center. You provided shelter to relatives and other refugees,
You gave your all to coordinate the relief efforts by the Charities to alleviate the sufferings of the hapless people throughout our town.
Your gave your all to coordinate the rehabilitation of our people after the war.
You gave your all to nurture your younger siblings and wards placed in your care.

Here are your footprints for hard work and dedication to duty
As champions of education and public service, your teaching careers took you from one school station to another.
As we met new neighbors, new family friends, and new playmates some of whom endure to today, you sowed the seeds of knowledge and good character in young minds,
You laid the most important foundation for their survival in life.

I see the footprints of your patience and belief in faith and the almighty.
There are your foot prints for doing God’s work and community leadership.
For years, Papa was the Catechist at our Church. As the Catechist, Papa would attend all the Sunday Masses with the Parish Priest at all the stations to ensure smooth church services; You taught catechism to both young and old.
Papa is a member of the legion of Mary; Mama is a Christian Mother and Chorister; and would sing with the Central Choir at service. Mama organized the village station choir.
Mama is a revered women’s leader in our town today.
Both of you have been great religious and professional mentors to both the young and old from our town, as marriage sponsor for many couples, and god-parents of many many people.

I see the footprints of you soaring above the kind of bitterness that often engulfs people.
You’ve never advised any of us not to assist someone, just because that person disparaged you.
Instead, you encourage my siblings and I to do what ever good we can and choose so to do!

The foot prints of your goodness and goodwill are multiple! They are all over – be it in our home Town, in Port Harcourt, Lagos, throughout Nigeria and here in the US.
Whenever I get introduced to anyone, and I mean anyone, that had crossed your path, either as your student, beneficiary or admirer, I hear them exclaim “so you are the son of Mr. & Mrs. Ononaji”, with the implication that I do not need any further introduction and I get the immediate offer of assistance with any help that that person may be able to provide.

Indeed, your goodwill is invaluable to my brothers and sister and I.

Many, many more of your treasured foot prints I see!

And so, Papa and Mama, from all your children: Ngozi Mary Joan, Nkechinyere Joy Julian, Chukwunonyereanyi Bonaventure, Chidiegwu Augustine, Nnesochi Paul, Obiageriaku Maria Helen, Uchechukwu Innocent Jr., Oziomma John Michael, Chioma Cecilia Francis, Anumnachi Benjamin Victor, and I, Nnanerugo Francis, your daughters-in-law who now share your name, and your son-in-law, I say this to you:

We love you back, forever!
While we may not be able to walk at your pace,
We see clearly, and are doing our best, following the path marked by your beautiful foot prints.

CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, AND MANY MORE HAPPY, LOVING AND HEALTHY YEARS AHEAD!

Nnanyerugo Francis Ononaji
for ALL the children
New York, New York
(C) 2009