The epitaph that Nigerian singer Teniola Apata, better known by her stage name Teni, wants to be written on her tombstone has been made public.
The 30-year-old woman stated that she wants her loved ones to write: “She lived life on her own terms.”
She revealed this when she appeared as a guest on the most recent Tea With Tay podcast episode, presented by actor Temisan Emmanuel Ahwieh, nicknamed Taymesan
Teni said,
“My father died when I was two years old. If you die today, life goes on. You don’t get to express yourself.
“Expressing yourself is very important. The people that judge you, they will die too. So, they would die with their own stories. You die with your own story. I’m living my life because this is my terms to let the world know who I am.
“It’s my terms to sing when I’m feeling down, when I’m feeling up. It’s my terms to express myself. I’m not going to be here forever. None of us are leaving this world alive.
“On my grave, I want them to write, ‘She lived life on her own terms.’ Yes, I want to die happy. I’m going to die empty.
“A lot of people are carrying so much greatness in them but are too afraid to express themselves. Trust me, the graveyard is full of so many dreams and talents. Things that could have changed the world.”