Gaza has changed my outlook on life
Lessons learnt from the resilience of Palestinians
If there’s one thing the situation in Gaza (the genocide) has taught me about life, it’s that life is fleeting.
A few days ago, I saw a video of a man who used to own one of the biggest and most luxurious houses in Gaza. He had access to all the fineries that even some of the wealthiest people would envy.
Then, he showed his current reality: living in a cramped tent with nothing more than a few pots and pans to cook with, two pairs of clothes, a pair of shoes, and nothing but his traumatized imagination to entertain him. Can you imagine that?
Once upon a time, he owned multiple cars, a humongous wardrobe filled with designer clothes and shoes, a fridge and pantry full to the brim with food. He had everything.
All it took was one moment. One moment that shattered it all. The facade of life that he was living in, gone in a single moment.
Many Gazan people have lost more than just their worldly possessions. They have lost their near and dear ones — family, friends, even pets. Generations have been wiped out.
Those that are left, the “new generation,” are forced to continue life with mutilated body parts, PTSD, and an empty void within them that can never be filled again. These are children, for God’s sake.
More than 186,000 killed, according to Lancet, and many more permanently scarred, both mentally and physically. They are being compelled to write their names on their wrists, so they are identifiable in the high chance that they die.
They don’t know when their last day is. They may be alive today and dead tomorrow — heck, maybe even the next minute. It really is unpredictable for those unfortunate souls living in the midst of such tyranny and injustice.
This all makes me realize that they don’t know when their last day is, and, well, neither do we. Despite their living conditions, like having to eat grass as a last resort, many of them continue their days with a smile on their face and hope and faith in their hearts.
That’s more than most of us could achieve on a day-to-day basis, let alone being in a life-threatening situation like this. They pray for us, when, in reality, we should be the ones praying for them.
Of course, many of us don’t deserve to be prayed for, like the majority of the two-faced, corrupt Arab leaders. In spite of this, though, the Palestinians send prayers our way and only hope that we will aid them in some way, even if it is just sending heartfelt prayers back.
So, what has this taught me about life then? Make the most of it. And I’m aware that that is a very overused saying, but there’s truth in it.
Eat, sleep, and pray well. Pray for the Palestinians, no matter what faith you follow — they need every ounce of love, support, and encouragement they can get.
Raise awareness, donate — never, and I mean never, forget them or what’s happening in Gaza. This genocide will 100% go down in history and will serve to teach us all a life lesson: Live every day like it’s your last, because you never know, it may just be.
