To see a relationship last in the 21st century provides a glimmer of hope to the “hopeless romantics” all around the world. To be part of a family that is whole and unified through the efforts of two loving parents is a deep blessing. Not everyone comes from a family that consists of parents that have stayed together. Divorce, verbal or physical abuse and other traumatic experiences are just a few of many reasons why relationships and/or marriages fail. Keeping in mind how difficult it can be to maintain a relationship, consider yourself lucky if you know a couple that has managed to navigate a relationship for so many years.
I am one of those lucky people who knows such a couple: My parents.
To celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, I will mention 25 things I am grateful for.
1. Thank you, Papa, for marrying Honey in the first place. Thanks for fighting for her and remaining adamant on your decision despite the odds. You make me believe in fairytales.
2. Thank you, Honey, for being so supportive of Papa and being there for him as he followed his dreams. Your support showed me that true love pushes people to be the best version of themselves they can possibly be.
3. Thank you both for my older sister and my best friend.
4. Thank you, Honey, for throwing me parties for my big days - from my Teletubbies cake on my fifth birthday party to my Twitter-themed graduation party.
5. Thank you both for driving 45 minutes back and forth from our Islamic private school to ensure that we received an education that also fortified our character.
6. Thank you both for listening to my point of view and trusting me with making my own decisions when I turned 13.
7. Thank you both for driving me to school after I would purposely miss the bus in 8th grade.
8. Thank you both for listening to my drama and giving me the best advice.
9. Thank you both for accepting my phases and little changes during my adolescent years -- like the time Papa bought me expensive basketball shoes even though we all knew I couldn’t play basketball and ended up quitting after two weeks.
10. Thank you, Honey, for letting me skip school when I was too stressed or during my senior year when I was going through severe senioritis. I’ll always laugh at the time the school called about my absence and you said, “She said there’s nothing to do at school!”
11. Thank you for cooking a feast for us and our friends when we decided to throw a prom party for all the girls who never went to prom. That day meant so much to us and I’m convinced it was way better than prom.
12. Thank you, Papa, for all the times you spent hours on the road when driving me to college.
13. Thank you, Honey, for giving us that lecture when we really needed it. They grounded me again and always remind me not to complain.
14. Thank you both for supporting the major I chose in college, even though it was not medical, engineering, or law.
15. Thank you for telling us not to give up when we felt hopeless and through all the existential crises we went through in college.
16. Thank you, Papa, for taking us to so many different countries and beautiful places around the world.
17. Thank you for showing us by example that hard work pays off.
18. Thank you, Honey, for studying and learning even after you were married with two kids. I don’t know how you did it!
19. Thank you, Honey, for being you and following your passions -- for teaching me about the beauty of flowers and the little things in life that we take for granted.
20. Thank you, Papa, for taking us through adventurous experiences all the time, whether it was driving up a mountain by the raging Indus Valley in Pakistan, or hiking up a mountain in Norway.
21. Thank you for always reminding us of our cultural and religious roots.
22. Thank you for cheering us up when we were sad.
23. Thank you for giving us our space and never asking or expecting too much from us.
24. Thank you for not just being our parents who guide us and inspire us, but for also being our friends who we can joke with and talk to.
25. Finally, thank you for being loving towards one another and patching up no matter how badly you fight. You show us that true love finds a way to work no matter what trials it must face.
For all you do and for all that you have done, thank you. May you continue to shine together and strive together!
