Raft

I heard this Buddhist parable and thought it was worth writing down.

A man has to cross a jungle.   He comes across a river.  There is no bridge.  The river is to deep to walk through.  The river is not safe to swim across. He spends time to build a raft.  He crosses the river and continues to cross the jungle.  This time, he carries the raft.  It gets in his way constantly and prevents him from crossing the rest of the jungle.  He realizes he needs to put the raft down.

It immediately made me think about parenting.  Yusuf and Nooriya have changed so much these past few years and inshallah they will continue to.  That's what they're supposed to do.  I have pictures of them as toddlers and little kids covering my office.  I look at them all the time.  It makes me happy, but they aren't those people anymore.  I'll be a better parent to remember that.  I'm in a different stage of parenting now.

I've spent so much time building a "raft".  This story applies to so much in life.  It applies to parenting, work, family situations, ability to use my body, and even friendships.  

Taher, sometimes you need to put the "raft" down.  What got you here may not be what gets you there.

Elevation

When a big change happens to us it creates a lasting change within us. Big changes are going to happen.  I've had a few.  Some expected and some not.  They were big though and not all good.  I guess the lasting change is optional.  Big change is an opportunity.

It's an opportunity to make a change that inspires others.  There's actually a phrase for it and there's been some research.  It's called moral beauty or moral elevation. People see whatever positive they see and are inspired.  It's a lesson to consume the positive and perhaps less consumption of the negative.  We're told to avoid back-biting.  This, I think, is part of why.

Doing inspiring stuff is also a form of ibadaat.  When people see moral beauty the experience of awe and beauty is heightened both for the doer and the seer.

Taher, it doesn't have to be big to inspire.  Pay it forward.   Taher, do the small things and the big things.  This is how you pay it forward.