The Power of F Words: Family, Friends, and Fellows in Life’s Tapestry
Family, Friends, and Fellows embody the best F words you can ever embrace in your life. In the holy reunion of Family, life unfolds. This bonding creates and sustains God’s creation, fostering the emergence of inventors, scientists, and leaders. It serves as the core, making life the most precious gift one can possess. Although we don’t inhabit a perfect world filled with roses, this imperfection doesn’t diminish its role in the continuity of life.
Living without a family can be challenging, and the struggles become even more arduous. While exceptions exist, with cases of kids being abused and treated poorly in non-ideal families, it’s important to note that exceptions don’t negate the general rule.
A Father’s Unconditional Sacrifice
I experienced a poignant incident involving my dad. He was in his early 60s, and in Lebanon, those years can be harsh for someone unable to contribute to a large family. Despite being adults, taking care of the family fell on us six kids and my mom. Yet, societal expectations weighed heavily on a father and husband, especially if he couldn’t provide for the family. One day, as a university student without cash, I asked my dad for some money to take the bus. Without hesitation, he emptied his pocket. While this act may seem ordinary, I realized something profound. My dad, who occasionally received money from my brothers, selflessly gave me what he had, knowing he wouldn’t get it back. This sacrificial gesture, a display of unconditional love and support, made me reflect on the hidden depths of familial devotion.
Remember how many times your parents or older siblings granted you things you never considered returning? Does this concept apply to someone outside the family?
The Power of Friendship
Well, that is where friends come in – another F-word that will shake your world to make it more stable. How I miss my friends from my old places, Lebanon, or Maine. I had so many friends who supported me in different ways.
How many times did a friend lift you physically or emotionally when you were down? What about your bestie? That unique person who will always be there to support you when your relationship ends, and you start to fall apart. That friend comes to your doorstep, supports you, and comforts you. And that meant the world to you. It is another type of love and support that you get from another person that life brought you together, and you became friends. What a wonderful F world 😊.
The Blessings of Fellowship and Human Kindness
Let’s keep going with the third-best F word, Fellows! This is a broader support that you can receive from colleagues, neighbors, and even Samaritans.
Let’s go back in time a little bit. While you were driving, you pulled over to the roadside because your car had something going on under the hood. Then from nowhere, someone pulls over and asks you if you need help – a total stranger who wants to see if he can help you in your unforeseen situation. How many times have you been stuck in a task at work, and suddenly a situation arose in your kid’s school, where you had to leave, and one of your colleagues jumped in to cover you during your absence? How many times has someone given you a ride because he sees how badly you need that… the count is endless. That is Human kindness; that is what makes us different from other creatures, that is what elevates us as humans to the level of giving for free.
Embracing the Three F Words for a Fulfilling Life
Life alone is challenging; without seeing help or support on the horizon, it becomes a toxic existence where stress and anxiety are included in your meals, and you live on because of your lonely days. I want you to remember one thing – you are not alone. There will always be people who offer help, support, and love to you, wherever you are in the world. Just believe in human kindness and embrace those three F words: Family, Friends, and Fellows, and your life will always have hope and optimistic perspectives.
