As a child, I looked up to the elders around me with great admiration. There was a majestic presence and a youthful exuberance that surrounded them. And yet it has taken me up until adulthood to understand the weight that my elders have held in my life. Many of the lessons that I have learnt are the unspoken yet sacred traditions of life, love and family. 

My Gram’Ma (Grandmother) celebrates every birthday without fail. Oftentimes as Black women we neglect to celebrate ourselves or achievements until a milestone is reached, but Gram’Ma is always grateful to see a new day. 

Her tradition of stretching her birthday to a week-long celebration, of wearing all white kaba and slit (a traditional custom made Ghanaian outfit, in the style of a top and long skirt); adorned with handmade krobo beads (handmade glass beads, used for traditional Ghanaian jewellery); her best wig, whilst balancing her special-occasion-handbag on her wrist, is quite a thing to witness.

It’s no wonder that I willingly followed in her footsteps, celebrating every birthday in the same lengthy manner (my sisters still refer to my 30th birthday as my “first wedding”).