It is funny how life can take you on a roller coaster of ups and downs. We all get our share of happy and not so happy days, we vent about it, talk with a good friend, or we cry about it, to then laugh, or dance..dance to remember or to forget –Hotel California anyone?- it is during those times when we find those who truly mean the most to us, it is during those times when we really come to appreciate people and how great of a difference a smile on someone’s face, a hug, a jok and a text of “just thinking of you” makes us feel special and good, just good about life in general.

I can never stop telling you how lucky I truly am by the people I am surrounded with. The friendships I have made throughout my life, the relationships with cousins, neighbors, professors, class mates, hall-mates, and just a nice talk with someone new at a shop or at work. All these just have shown me over and over again how life is truly blissful.

And, family, have I mentioned family? Parents are gifts we often take for granted, we sometimes “sigh” when they call, to find out all they wanted to say was “I love you” or “goodluck on your exam” or “I am proud of you”. They’re the epitome of goodness, giving, love and happiness on life.

Living so far away from home, with the 7 hour time difference, it is very hard to have a good talk with my parents and family, I never get that option of calling home on my way back after a long day, to just share how my day was, simply because they’re asleep, and they can’t do the same, because I’m either in class or asleep. And so, whenever I get to talk to them, it is always another big fat greek wedding all in a phone call! Literally. You get to know every single thing about all 30 cousins, and some – Yes, I have 30 first cousins, that’s one of my fun facts.- Today was one of those happy days where I got to listen to my dad’s talking about his conversations with my uncle who just married his daughter, to then hear my mom’s week of visits with her sister and their cousins. Another story of how my grandma finally settled on a style of  a new set of furtniture for her living room, and after it was ordered and made (you ask for things to be specifically made for you, totally arab style) she decides to give them to my uncle because she doesnt like them anymore(!!!) aaand so many more. This phone conversation brightened my day, brought tears of laughter to my eyes and made me realize that in the midst of all the work I have to do during this crazy time of year, things will be okay, and things ARE okay.

Life is much much more than just an exam or a paper or a project we stress so much about. Life is about these relationships we build everyday, it’s about the long phone call with your mom, or an old friend from home, it’s about a spontaneous coffe date you have with a friend, and a fun adventure you decide on taking with someone new. It’s about living the moment, appreciating where we are and what we have. These little things are what make life worth living, so when you’re in the middle of a stressful time, take a deep breath, check this out, go for a walk, call up a friend you haven’t talked to in a while, call your cousin or your parents. Listen to upbeat music and dance along with your friends, look at how beautiful life can be, because it will all be fine, and life is good.

Until we meet again,

Peace
~Muna