Death never takes the wise man by surprise, he is always ready to go – Jean de La Fontaine
The life and times of Miss Sophia Anwulika-Okolo, a serial entrepreneur who was snatched by the cold hands of death on the 30th of October,2024, in Benin City, Nigeria can be aptly captured in the words of Julius Caesar, which was depicted in a letter by him to the Roman Senate ,after one of his many victories at war around 47 BC , thus Veni, Vidi, Vici: ‘I Came, I Saw, I Conquered’
Sophia might be dead., But she lives on. This is because some times, you find the living among the dead and the dead among the living.The essence of your person is not whether you are living or dead, but your positive effect on those around you, whether in life or in death. When you sleep you practice how to die, as the difference between life and death is breath .
It was J.K. Rowlings, the British Novelist of the Harry Potter fame that posited thus:
To the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.
Miss Sophia Anwulika Okolo will be remembered for her benevolence and magnanimity. A Woman with a good heart and an amiable mien , Sophia had a charismatic and infectious, just as she was a woman of substance.Sophia was a personality, that made everyone around her happy.Sophia could not be lost in the crowd, in deed, she stood out from the crowd. Despite her beauty and poise, she was humble to a fault ,always ready to forgive and even give to the forgiven.
There is no doubt Sophia is with the Angels in paradise.
The constellation of the stars , accentuated by the Cherubim and Seraphim , ushers in Sophia to be among his kind -Angels , in the land where we never grow old
It was Albert Pike that said :
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal
This is why Sophia has achieved immortality by her good works .Achieving Immortality is not by writing Autobiographies ,some times filled with lies and half truths .Achieving Immortality is writing your name in gold in the hearts of those you left behind .This Sophia has done effortlessly for years among her families and friend .She did good to her family and friends, not because she expected same in return from you , she did good because , she was good by nature .It is said that the kindest in the room or the space is smartest. Sophia was very smart. She was indeed a genius diva and she used her ingenuity for the good of humanity.
To those of us alive ,I have a probing for us :
What will people say about you , when you die?Let this be your guide in any thing you do .There is a day of reckoning.A Tribute to the dead is a reminder that you will die one day .
It was Norman Cousin that said :
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live
Let me conclude this piece by stating an excerpt from My Poem on her
Aduei ,Sophia A. Okolo,
You are not just an unforgettable.
You are irreplaceable.
Your character is seen only among angels.
Oh!You have gone to be with the angels.
I know you are heaven.
On earth here you created for your kith and kin relative heaven.
You were a woman with a large heart.
That think not for any one bad.
Still you lived a Spartan life.
Making people Happy was your major like.
You lived so that others may live.
You were like a river
The World will miss a rare diva!
About the Author :
Douglas Ogbankwa Esq., @ douglasogbankwa@gmail.com, Lawyer, Writer and Policy Analyst is the President of the Benin Writers’ Society and the Convener of Security Situation Room.
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