Thanks for waiting. In case you missed the preview, find it here, so you know what to expect. If you are not sure what Beneath the Smile is about, please check the preview out.

The project aims at looking beyond the smiles of the next person, to see what’s really beneath, what’s really going on? How people really need help and won’t bother saying anything about it but would rather cover it up with a façade of strength, with a smile.
It’s time to look beneath the smile and lend a helping hand. People are going through real things, these are their stories.

We hope that you’d be kind enough to leave a comment. Your feedback is important to us.

Today’s story was sent in by one of our readers @Uber_pweedy

This is her story.

Please Read.

The ‘Beneath the Smile’ Project.

Hey 🙂

I’m Ibukun and I’m from a family of 5, I have 3 lovely siblings and we have all been healthy and happy for as long as I remember but in 2009 my mom fell terribly ill. It was so bad that we had to go to Egypt for her treatment after several failed attempts to treat her here in Nigeria, there was nothing they didn’t say my mom had!! Fibroid, ulcer, kidney problem.

When we returned from Egypt she was getting better, then, I was in my 200-level, my mother’s case got really bad, she lost so much weight, every time I called her from school she always sounded down. It killed me every time I spoke to her. I prayed, I cried, ’cause I did see the pain she was going through. One time, when we were on break, she came to get me from the airport and I didn’t recognize my mum, she was so dark and lean! :(. I didn’t want her feeling bad, I held back my tears but I was broken, she went to so many prayer houses and was on so many diets, she didn’t eat so many things, she was so uncomfortable.

But God finally revealed the problem through an elderly woman who so loves my mom, she told my mum that there was a group of people who didn’t want her to be successful and happy, who wouldn’t want such a loving woman to be happy? We have been battling with her health since 2009. The pain she felt back then, has reduced a lot but I believe she is on her way to perfect health. I still thank God she’s alive ’cause I don’t know what I would do without my mommy she is still strong enough to carry the four of us on her motherly shoulder, and I know that God that has kept her and has revealed the problem, will keep being with her and restore her to perfect health.

I recently graduated from CU and while I was there I had ups and downs, I was never a first class candidate but I was alright lol! I dropped heavily in my 3rd year, I was distracted by a lot(boys inclusive *sigh), o well! I had my 1st ‘F’ ever and this made my dad say really awful things to me, our relationship has always been shaky and all but dis kinda added ‘pepper to the wound’! I did try my best to avoid another F as the previous one had brought my cgpa to a 3.56 but I had another ‘F’ and my dad said and I quote ‘I will not come for your convocation if you do not make a 2’1‘. I read, I prayed, I did work hard but I still didn’t finish with a 2’1.

Convocation came and my Dad was absent, I was terribly hurt, was sad through out, you guys cannot begin to imagine how sad and embarrassed I was… I mean, who does that?! I couldn’t believe he didn’t come and since then, my heart towards my father has been pretty cold but I have been praying to change, but his actions do not even help, he’s a very vulgar person and things get to me, easily. I want to get along with him, but his recent actions and lots more keep ringing in my head, I have prayed and still praying, that God has mercy on me and change my daddy’s heart and tongue.

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Don’t just read, say a prayer.

A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS?

N.B. The project goes on with Tomorrow’s ‘His Story, XXIV’ by an Anonymous writer

You can still send in your own true stories to obafuntay@gmail.com

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