A moment’s impact

A couple of years ago we were in Chicago visiting, sightseeing and of course hitting up one of our favorite restaurants on Devon Ave.
As always, and as my wife kids always comment, I ordered too much food. We asked for it to be bagged and took it back to the hotel, only to realize that our room does not have a fridge. So I took the food, went outside and within a few minutes found someone who appreciated having some food to eat that night.

A few days ago, I was talking with the kids about Eid Al-Adha (the Eid of sacrifice) and told them about the story of prophets Abraham and *Ismael (peace be upon them both) and how they were both tested, how they responded to the test and how we should show our appreciation to God for what He has given us, no matter how little, and help those around us in whatever way possible. That’s when my daughter chimed in and said “like the time we were in Chicago and you went looking for someone to give the food to!”

A fleeting moment that I didn’t make much of that left, hopefully, a lasting positive impact on my children.

This is not a celebration of “my generosity” or me touting “my parenting skills”. This is just to a reminder that children absorb everything we do, whether we think they’re paying attention or not. How we react and interact with the world around us is how our children learn. So let’s all be mindful of the imprints we leave on our future generations.

Have a blessed Friday

*to my Christian friends, I believe the story in the Bible mentions Isaac as the one to be sacrificed by Abraham (peace be upon them both)