Love and loss.

I still remember the day that my English teacher passed away from cancer and the time when my uncle's lungs gave up on him. This all happened within a year. 2020, I think it was.

Not a day goes by that I don't miss them. They had the purest souls and remained in high spirits till their end. I don't think I've ever been hurt as much as I was when I was told of their demise. Life is unfair like that, taking away the good ones from us a little too soon.

Miss Lubna and Munib uncle were and always will be, my role models. They gave me strength when I needed it the most and helped me power through some of the most difficult times in my life. Their unwavering optimism and faith in me, gave me hope that better times would come.

I will never forget Miss Lubna's wise counsel and uplifting words when I was at my lowest, nor will I forget all the times Munib uncle made me sit by his side, just to laugh with him at his clever jokes and jibes. At times I felt he loved me more than his children.

That's the thing about love and loss, I guess. Without experiencing the two, we wouldn't value people or the memories we make with them. We would be a thankless nation, completely unaware of the beauty that resides within the human soul, a beauty that has the ability to evoke pure, unadulterated joy in its recipient and inspires them to achieve their true purpose in life.