A Nigerian man, Joshua Akinkunmi Akinbode, has revealed why he cannot marry a woman like his mother.
The cinematographer, who disclosed this in a birthday message to his mother on Monday, September 29, 2025, expressed his deep love and gratitude for her prayers, and sacrifices.
He described his mother as a phenomenal woman, a prayer warrior, a tireless cook, everything good, strong and sacrificial yet he insisted he cannot marry someone like her.
According to Akinbode, his statement is not borne out of disrespect or lack of appreciation for his mother’s love and sacrifices but the realization that the world has changed and marriages are no longer dependent only on culinary skills and ability to provide food but also by deep conversations, emotional vulnerability, and partnerships.
“I CANNOT MARRY SOMEONE LIKE MY MOTHER” It is not a statement of disrespect, but of deep reflection. My mother is a phenomenal woman. I can never deny that. She is a prayer warrior whose words shake the heavens. She is a tireless cook, a daily provider of meals that nourished not just the body but the heart,” he wrote.
“A woman whose hands scrubbed clothes with love, whose faith clung to the gathering of saints, and whose voice in prayer became the shield of her children. I remember once threatening my lecturer with nothing but the weight of my mother’s prayers and it was not an empty threat, because I knew what her fire could do. My mother is everything good, everything strong, everything sacrificial. Yet! I cannot marry someone like her.
“Not because she is lacking, but because the world has shifted. Evolution has taken place, and with it, the way we love, communicate, and build homes. Today, marriages are not only held by food on the table or the labour of hands that never rest, but also by deep conversations, emotional vulnerability, and partnerships rooted in shared growth.
“My mother’s sacrifices built me, but my partner’s companionship must shape me; My mother prayed for me, but my partner must reason with me, challenge me, and walk alongside me in dialogue as much as devotion. The love I seek is not a replica of my mother’s strength, but a redefinition of it; a love where two people meet in honesty, evolution, and shared humanity.
“Yet, in all this, one truth remains unshaken: my mother is irreplaceable. She is the root from which my life draws strength, the voice that taught me faith, and the heart that taught me sacrifice.
“So today, as we celebrate her birthday, I lift my heart in gratitude. MUMMY, may your days be filled with the same joy you have poured into ours. May your laughter grow louder, your strength grow deeper, and your prayers continue to light our path. Happy Birthday to the woman who is not just my mother but my forever blessing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU MUMMY. LONG MAY YOU LIVE.”