Motherhood is an honour and mercy, just as it was in Mary, who gave birth to the Messiah (Gal. 4:4). Just as a child cannot pay for its mother’s milk, the peaceful transition of our Mother, Chief Mrs Christianah Mosunmola Taiwo Adebusuyi on 23rd August, 2024 at Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria offers us opportunities to celebrate the joy and dignity of Motherhood. Mother Adebusuyi of Osu did not give birth to the Messiah but gave birth biologically to men and women of honour and virtue. She nurtured and touched many lives and homes by adoption, including the writer. Only Mary gave birth to the Messiah himself, but every mother, like Mother Adebusuyi, who bears children, experiences what Mary did. Every mother who bears a child brings life into the world through a near-death experience. Every mother who bears a child partakes in the pangs of childbirth.

No role in life is more essential than Motherhood, and though, ‘mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.’ The suffering of a woman brings new life into the world, and indeed, Mother Adebusuyi of Osu not only brought new lives into the world, but she also remains one of the ways that God chose to heal many lives, homes, and communities. Mother Adebusuyi, like Timothy’s grandmother Lois and mother Eunice (2 Tim 1:5), passed the Christian faith on to the children she bore, adopted and nurtured at home and abroad. In line with a Yoruba proverb, ‘Iya ni wura, baba ni diigi,’ meaning, Mothers are pure gold, fathers are mere mirrors,’ Mother Adebusuyi of Osu remains a pure shining gold even in her transition, just as her husband, the father of her biological children, late Chief Ezekiel Olaiya Adebusuyi remains a pure mirror, a symbolic of spiritual, moral, political, and psychological depth not only revealed in the appearance, walking style, firmness (I do not want to say stubbornness as Ujesas) of his children but a revelation who the Adebusuyis are on a deeper level. Because Adebusuyi’s children never disrespect their mother or father in life or death, their prosperity is divinely covered.

The significance of a good wife and Motherhood in the Bible’s story resonates with the legacies, influence, description, tributes and reading about Mother Adebusuyi, the wife of late Chief Ezekiel Adetunji Adebusuyi,[1] Baba Ijo, Methodist Church Oke Oja, Osu. By the Grace of God, Baba Adebusuyi’s posthumous 100th birthday will be held in 2025. Just as it is impossible to write anything about Baba, Chief Adebusuyi without writing about his wife, Mother Adebusuyi of Osu, it is impossible to write about Mother Adebusuyi without writing about Baba, Chief Adebusuyi. The truth about the Baba Adebusuyi is that he received the gift of a prudent wife, and even in his death, he continued to prosper and receive favours from God, as evident in the lives of his children and grandchildren (Prov. 18:22; 19:14).

Mother Adebusuyi of Osu as a good wife remains priceless despite her death (Prov 31:10). Her husband was not anxious about her. Her goodness helped Baba Adebusuyi to prosper (31:11). Mother Adebusuyi brought Baba Adebusuyi good, not evil (31:12). Mother Adebusuyi was hardworking (31:13), entrepreneurial (31:14), diligent (31:15), wise (31:16), capable (31:17), skilled (31:18–19), generous (31:20), and for all these reasons she was a loving, caring, confident, firm, take no nonsense mother and grandmother (31:21). Mother Adebusuyi tended her bed. She was adorned correctly (31:22). Her husband suffered no shame from her (31:23). Mother Adebusuyi blessed others without counting the cost, especially in hosting people at their No 174 Ladbroke Grove, London (31:24). Mother Adebusuyi had a personified dignity, strength, and joy even in times of adversity, especially when Baba Adebusuyi was very deep into politics and obaship tussle at Osu. (31:25).  Mother Adebusuyi was wise and a good teacher (31:26) and wasted no time (31:27). Excellent and praiseworthy is she, blessed of children, praised of husband, feared God and reaped her reward in anticipation for the Second Coming of Christ, her Saviour. (31:10, 28–31).

Mrs Folake Majekodunmi-Kale, in her tribute, aptly described Mother Adebusuyi as ‘GREATER THAN THE SUM OF HER PARTS… ASTUTE… ELEGANT… CONFIDENT… REGAL. A TEACHER…..Consummate PROFESSIONAL… and of International repute… “The Mary Slessor”… LADY WITH THE GOLDEN LAMP of our time… A _DISCIPLINARIAN… So down-to-earth… WITTY… (Yes, her sense of humour was terrific). Mother….Grandma….Great Grandma…. above all this… Mother…The woman in PROVERBS 31v10… She is Greater than the sum of her parts; We Celebrate you, Mother… You have bequeathed your wisdom and intellectual capacity to millions who came your way…. Methinks our rulers could have shared and benefitted from /at your feet…I am a beneficiary of your largesse and understanding… You keep confidence, Mother… My youngest sister, your daughter-in-law, did not know the series of Mother / Daughter experience you and I had telephonically after our Uterine Mother (GEM) joined The Saints. It was uncanny… Surreal moments … evergreen…. Thanks so much, Mother, for such Grace and abundance. Thank you for your Love and “Firm Home and Family is Everything “… A MANTRA you have established… The Adebusuyi Family Tradition…. Awesome Family Culture…. Integrity for GB and Tunde…. (which stands them out… with head and shoulders high). Thanks, Mother, for giving my dearest uterine sister the best husband and father for their children. The home remains solid God-centred…. a source of personal Joy. Bless GB and Bussie for allowing me the privilege and honour.

MAMA, a walking History….Full of Love and Compassion…… Mother…… Mother, Mother…. you taught me “love in Peace and Peace in love”… One of your Double Metaphors. Did I hear “MARCEL… MARCEL…” Just now? Your pet name for me…Who will call me your style going forward? Mother… it hurts… It hurts. Yet I remember you…. your wisdom nuggets…. When BABA CALLS, it will be in Peace… So, Mother, your Legacy of Integrity…Love… Compassion and Generosity will continue to be Our Armour, Mother….with our Ever-thankful heart.’

Indeed, Mother Adebusuyi, with her infectious humour, remains a testament to the fact that Motherhood is vital to the mandate God gave to humanity to fill, subdue, and rule the earth. I remember, in one of my visits to Uncle Tunde’s and Aunty Morenike’s house at Croydon, London to see Mother Adebusuyi in one of her visits, she ushered me with inspiring my Ujesa traditional litany of praise poetry (omo olowu Epe – oriki). One is not surprised because Mother Adebusuyi’s mother was Ijesa so Baba Adebusuyi only went to Abeokuta to bring Mother Adebusuyi home.

We celebrate the memories of Mother Adebusuyi’s ‘life working on the NHS in United Kingdom, especially her times at the Queen Charlotte’s Hospital as the first black African sister of her unit.’ We remember ‘her times as a district nurse, pushing her bike over London Bridge in winter with high winds almost knocking her over into the river Thames.’

Mother Adebusuyi remains a model of a good wife, especially in the Osu community. I met my wife in 1994 at the University of Ibadan, and went to Osu to tell my parents. When I told them that my wife was a native of Abeokuta, their countenance changed; after some question-and-answer sessions, I told them my wife is from Abeokuta with reference to Mother Adebusuyi, and the interrogation stopped. To God be the glory.

Let us prayerfully sing together one of Mother Adebusuyi’s inspiring hymns:

1 God make my life a little light
Within the world to glow;
A little flame that burneth bright
Wherever I may go.

2 God make my life a little flower
That giveth joy to all,
Content to bloom in native bower
Although the place be small.

3 God make my life a little song
That comforteth the sad,
That helpeth others to be strong,
And makes the singer glad.

4 God make my life a little staff
Whereon the weak may rest,
That so what strength and health I have
May serve my neighbours best.

Please, let us remember the family in prayer. Worthy is the Lamb!

[1] http://dejiokegbile.com/remembering-chief-adebusuyi-95-and-as-baba-ijo-methodist-church-oke-oja-osu-35/