Al Maryah Island is visible from my apartment windows. It is small, only 1.14 square kilometres (.44 square miles), and relatively new. What was a sandy island is now an emerging mini-city centre. Construction first started in 2007. From the beginning, everything constructed has been part of a master plan. Seventeen years on, the building continues. The master plan is still unfolding. What started big has taken over the next island and beyond. It is interesting to imagine what it will be like twenty years from now.
I wonder what the individuals who believed in me saw in my future when I was young. I know, especially in hindsight, that I had no idea. In the haze of time, I do not remember my dreams at fifteen or twenty. I do recall my competitiveness to win and excel. I do not think; I knew where I was going. I did know I wanted to win. It was more than just winning; I wanted to win in a hurry.
To my younger and today self, I would offer the following whispers as guidance.
Enjoy each, and every, moment. Whatever that past brought, whatever the future might bring, life is found in the moment one has. Everything happens in this space. One can pivot, move forward, and step towards the future. Yesterday informs. Tomorrow can be a north start. What is now is our moment of living. In this space, freedom is created and grows. Savour the experience. Ponder beauty and awe. Consider the greater story. Above all, be in the moment you have with family, friends, and others who share it with you.
Recognise there is a bigger story. Life is always larger than the individual. It is greater than our community and tribe. Life is individual and global. A writer reminds me, “Again to the Son, You, Master, started it all, laid earth’s foundations, then crafted the stars in the sky.” (Hebrews 1.10)
Reach for more. Life lasts as we remember and believe. In reaching for hope, one discovers s/he cares about making a difference.
