My Activities During the Last Festivities

Hello everyone

This is the list of events I attended:

My sister's Matriculation Ceremony

Location: University Of Uyo Main Campus
What it was about: The formal ceremony where my sister and other new students were officially admitted into the university. It marked the starting of their university life

A Burial Ceremony

Location: Deceased Compound
What it was about: The funeralwas a day for mourning giving the deceased a befitting burial and celebration of a long life lived.

A Traditional Marriage

Date:December 28, 2025
Location: Bride's Family Home, Uyo
What it was about The full traditional wedding ceremony where families officially united gifts were presented and the couple's union was blessed according to custom.

A University Presentation

Date: 06 January 2026
Location: Onyema Chukwu Lecture Hall
Department of Social Studies Education
What it was about A major project defense and presentation I had to deliver to Head Of Department Lecturers and my colleagues marking a critical academic deadline right after the festivities.

Let The Video Speak:

I have a video of me dancing with my friends."This video was taken at the Burial Ceremony.
In the video you see us in our ankara outfits. We are dancing to the highlife song we sang a rhythm that moved from sorrow to celebration, honoring her love for life and community.
Check below for my video

My General Observations:

1. Within two weeks, I witnessed the chapters of life: Beginning (Matriculation) Ending (Burial) Union (Marriage) and Achievement (Presentation). It felt like living a proverb.

2. Every single event was governed by ritual the academic procession the funeral rites the marriage customs the formal presentation structure. These rituals told us how to act, feel, and come together, providing comfort and order.

3. The most jarring observation was the mental whiplash. I had to switch from the dancing at the burial to wedding joy and then suddenly into serious academic mode for the presentation.

Lessons & Experiences:

Lessons & Experiences:

Positive:

Community is a Single Net: The same people who celebrated with me at the matriculation supported me at the burial. I learned that your community is the single net that catches you in all seasons joy grief and stress.

Joy and Sorrow Coexist: The dancing video is my proof. I learned that at the deepest events you don't just feel one thing. At the burial we felt profound loss and genuine joy in her memory simultaneously. It taught me emotional complexity.

Traditions are Alive: The traditional marriage was a vibrant, loud, colorful affirmation that our cultures are not just for show. They are living frameworks that bind families and create unforgettable joy.

Negative

Packing such heavy life events back-to-back left no time to process. I was emotionally full by New Year.

Lesson: It's advisable to create quiet time even if it's just 30 minutes to breathe between events.

The university presentation on January was a bad one. While others were busy looking at me presenting I will saying everything fast so as to leave immediately.

Lesson: The world doesn't stop for the holidays and balancing celebration with responsibility is a necessary if tough skill.

Final Reflection:

My season was a masterclass in life, compressed. It wasn't just about attending events. It was about participating in the milestones that define our human story. The video of me dancing at the burial is the key to it all it shows that at the heart of every ritual whether in grief or joy is our need for shared human connection to navigate it all.

This is my story. I look forward to hearing yours.

ACHIEVEMENT 1 || INTRODUCTION TO STEEMIT

I invite @bossj23 @sampson01 and @shieldmelody to join me in this contest

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