An Ode to Debo — On Your Birthday

For the brother who walked ahead and made the road easier.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Some people lead by volume. Others lead by vision.
But you, Debo - you lead by consistency.

By the quiet power of showing up.
By walking with integrity in a world that rewards shortcuts.
By blazing a trail and then making room for others to follow.

Long before I had language for what I wanted to become, you were already becoming it.
Building with purpose.
Making excellence look normal.
Holding your moral compass steady, even when the winds of culture said, "Compromise is faster."

You didn’t just open doors, you opened eyes.
You made honour look possible.
And manhood look responsible.
You held the standard, not with pressure, but with poise.

What amazes me most is not your success (though that speaks for itself)
But your spirit.
Your quiet generosity.
Your ability to encourage without performing.
To challenge without condemning.
To lead, without ever needing applause.

Debo, you’ve never just been a brother.
You’ve been a signal.
That it’s possible to live clean. To dream wide. To build well.
And to do it all with your soul intact.

So today, I celebrate your life.
Not just your years, but your witness.
Your journey. Your faith. Your fingerprints on our family, our work, our world.

May you walk into this next chapter with multiplied joy, sharpened vision, and even greater peace.
May the seeds you’ve sown - in silence, in sacrifice - bloom in ways only God can orchestrate.

And may you know this deeply, today and always:

The night has passed, and the day lies open before you.
So may the light of God guide your steps,
The strength of God guard your heart,
And the grace of God crown your journey.

Happy Birthday, Debo.
With love, always.