02/04/2026
Today, I celebrate brotherhood…
Many moons ago… on the cusp of becoming parents for the very first time, I reached out to a younger friend turned brother… Bobby. A college boy at the time… but present, willing, available.
Together, we set up our baby’s cot… capturing moments in pictures… and stepping, unknowingly, into a new chapter of life.
Fast forward… eleven years later…
Another child on the way… but this time, the air felt different. The excitement… quieter. The weight… heavier. And there I was again… faced with a cot to set up… a phase I thought I had long outgrown.
But Bobby… was no longer a call away. Life had happened. Distance had grown. He had moved on… thriving… rising… becoming.
And in that moment, I sank into my thoughts… You are alone now… No one is coming… Face your reality… carry your cross…
But then… a whisper within… Soft… but certain…
“There are many other Bobbys around you…”
You can stay here… or you can reach out.
And so I did.
I made a shortlist… and I called JS.
And just like that… presence showed up again.
We didn’t just set up a cot… We built something more that evening… Clearing out my garden shed… Unpacking thoughts… Sharing space… Honouring the quiet gift of access.
And it became clear…
You are not alone… You were never alone…
What you think you’ve lost… may simply have changed form. Because help… support… healing… They are always around…
Waiting… for you to yield.
By the way, JS… My shed is calling again…
Forward ever!
Olanrewaju