“Because of the sacrifices of many many before you, you are where you are today.”

When I went to Nicaragua in the 10th grade, I lived in a village with no electricity and no running water. It was 2013… 2013!!!! And there were still people who farmed for food, used candles for light and rivers to drink water from.

Every morning we would get up at the break of dawn, walk a short distance to a well, where we pumped up water for a good long while. It was tiring and hurt our hands so we would take turns between the 20 of us. We would then have to pump all that water again, through a water filter to purify it so our pansy, North American, internal organs could take it, lol. After that, because we hadn’t done enough for our fragile spoiled bodies (ok sorry ill turn down the self hate and sass a tad bit), we had to pour mild chlorine packets into our water to kill any other viruses and bacteria that may be lurking about our water bottles. We did this because we were so used to drinking distilled/ chemically purified, water that even a small amount of the bacteria in the river water could kill us as we just weren’t used to this water quite frankly. (We have a similar situation in India at my Daadi’s house where we have to boil all our water before we, the Americans, can drink it). ANYWAY, after all the work of pumping, and filtering and chlorine bleaching all our bottles, and about an hour and a half later, we would finally have our 2 bottles of water which we used for every water related need for the rest of the day- to drink, to make wudu, to clean our hands, etc. That was it. Except for shower water which was still not a lot.

I remember I learned a lot from that trip but it wasn’t until now, 7 years later that I fully see the gravity of that lesson. That if my parents, and my grandparents had never moved to America; If my Nani continued to be an orphan and never got an education, if my Daadajaan stayed in the village and never left to become an engineer, I wouldn’t be where I am today. The hand dealt fortune upon myself and my family from Allah. I could very well be a child in India walking 2 miles for water from a dirty brown river, with no time for education. I could be a child subject to child labor. But because of the efforts and the sacrifices of the family members before me, and the kindness that other people around them showed them, I ended up here, in a x thousand square foot house, with my own room, with a vaulted ceiling, and a 1,000 dollar MAC laptop, a degree in Psychology with no debt,… and the list of fortunes, and gifts to be grateful for goes on and on and on.

So I hope one day to teach my children, a little bit earlier on in life this important lesson- that you are where you are because of the sacrifices of many before you.

I would take my child out to a river or lake one day with a water chlorine bottle and a water purifier. I would tell them to go fill the bucket with water, and then to purify it. And then to chlorinate it. And together we’d drink. And id tell them to do it again, and again, until you get tired. When we get to the end and he/she (really hates the taste), I’ll give them a drink of our normal water.

Then ill teach the lesson. Why do you think I asked you to do this?

Possible answers include: because you wanted me to value water, because you hate me lol, because its tiring.

No, [insert name here], have you ever realized that you have never seen where your water comes from? It comes from somewhere like this yknow? But because we live in the suburbs, in our nice houses, and we’re well off, we never see where our water comes from. [insert name here], yknow this could have not been your life. If your nana had never come here to America, if he had never sacrificed missing his family, and his language, and his culture to come here to give a better life to his children, you would not be here. You could’ve been born in India to a family of less wealth. You could’ve been a kid who has to do what you just did every day 15 times a day. You could’ve been that kid.

But you’re not, why?

Because of the sacrifices your parents, and ancestors, and family, and friends, have made before you. See your life doesn’t just start when you are born, it starts long before that. And we have to remember to be grateful to the people who have made sacrifices for us, so that you can continue to enjoy what you enjoy today. Your own mother and father have made sacrifices for you, some of which you will never know, just so you can be here today. And I never want you to forget that. So the next time an elder, your dad or your mom or someone else makes a mistake, or annoys you, just remind yourself of the sacrifices they made so you can be here today.

If they didn’t feed you you wouldn’t be alive, if they didn’t get your shots you could’ve been sick, if they didn’t buy you clothes you could’ve been embarrassed. So always, always respect your elders, okay? and respect people, because when you love what Allah has made you can never go wrong.

Lesson learned? okay lets go home.

(Separate side lesson to add? That the whole point of this life is to humble ourselves and see ourselves as nothing, as the lowest, as slaves in front of God. To hear and obey him and trust that He knows what is best without knowing everything ourselves. So respecting and obeying your parents and elder siblings, and elders is kinda like a practice test. Can you handle being patient and obeying without understanding? Or do you have to say “oh no i know better than that old whatever… and rebel and disobey?”