Unveiling an Unbreakable Connection: Journeying Within

It is 6 pm on a Friday evening, June 15th, 2018, marking the day of Eid. I am 10 years

old. My hair is sectioned through the middle with two ponytails on each side of my head.

I'm dressed in an all pink dress with a white sweater wrapped around my shoulders, Nike shoes

in white and black, my hair is in two pigtails, and I'm wearing clear tights under the dress. Each

ponytail is tied with a blue ribbon and to top it off, a spray of glitter is used to finish off my look.

Both my sisters and I are on the sidewalk in Egypt trying to get tuk-tuks that can fit our

parents, our aunt, uncle, our two cousins, and our grandparents. Tuk-tuks are a source of

transportation in Egypt that only hold four people at a time, three in the back and one in the

front. They are another version of a taxi with car doors on the sides that are half the usual size,

which is what makes them so fun to ride as a child because you can spread your limbs out while

in the vehicle. It's probably not the safest but as a child, it’s a dream come true. Once we catch

the driver’s attention, my family is separated into multiple tuk tuks. I'm in a tuk-tuk with my

sisters and my mom, seated next to the driver. I reach my hands out and let myself feel the room-

temperature wind brush my fingers. The sun is setting and the road is getting quieter. In Front of

me, all I can see is a long paved surface that seems never-ending. I sit in silence, appreciating

the feeling of peace at that moment, and close my eyes.

Eid is the time to express gratitude for any blessings in life. Muslims are encouraged to

appreciate the food, shelter, and relationships they have been granted. Gratitude encourages us to

shift our focus from what we lack to what we possess. By acknowledging and being content with

the present moment, we develop a stronger sense of connection with others. The main focus of

Eid is usually to celebrate with other loved ones, but a lot of times people neglect the connection

they obtain with themselves. I've always loved our tradition, not just Eid but our family tradition

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of dressing up to go to the park and spending all the money we had just received from our elders

on rides. As simple as it seems, I look forward to this day every year. It never disappoints me,

mostly because of the money I get. However, I've always felt that there was a piece missing.

I open my eyes and see that we’ve reached the park. The park looks as it always has. This

park is not the most pleasantly appealing but this park has so many of our memories that we are

not willing to let go of. The entrance is a large stone archway with broken pieces that look like

they have been carved out of the archway. We walk through the entrance to seat our selves in our

usual spots. As soon as the rest of my family arrives, my cousins and I run straight to the rides.

We try all of them at least once until we are finally tired or have ran out of money to spend. By

this time, its 9pm, most of the people have gone home until its just my family at the park. We all

sit together, cramming a bunch of chairs to one table. Its come to that point of the night where

we use the silence as a time for us to reflect on the past month and our connection with one

another. We reflect on our actions, what we’ve said to each other, forgiving each other for any

mistakes made. The connection I have with my family is one of life’s great blessings as each

relationship has molded me into the person that I am today. My relationships with my parents,

grandparents, and other relatives are all ones that are meaningful to my life. This time, I decided

to reflect on how I took care of myself for the past month and what I could do better to improve

the respect I show towards myself. How did I act towards myself when I made a mistake? Did I

get mad at myself or did I realize my mistake and use it as a learning curve? When one of my

family members got mad at me, did that influence me to disrespect myself or did I solve the

situation and let the moment pass?

In a society where perfection is constantly expected, self-compassion transforms into a

gentle balm that soothes our exhausted souls. Connecting with yourself requires creating a kind

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and encouraging relationship with the person at our core. It requires taking ownership of our

mistakes, being compassionate toward ourselves, which in turn helps us be compassionate

toward others. Connecting with oneself involves embracing your authenticity and removing

social pressure-induced masks to expose the real, pure self. From this act of self-acceptance, we

free ourselves from the restrictions of conformity and go on a path where we can accept our

weaknesses, flaws, and imperfections. Why crave the attention from others when you have

yourself? Connection helps us acknowledge that we have ourselves to rely on forever. No-one

can break the bond between you and you.

Despite the connections we create with others that form our identity, we frequently

overlook the most crucial and transformative relationship we have, the connection we have with

ourselves. We discover the true core of who we are deep within our own selves.

I've learned that connection is not only about others. It's not only about being close with

your family, your friends, your significant other. It's also about you. It's finding your inner peace.

It's realizing you are the missing piece. This is the good life.