Bloom Wherever You Are Planted

        Have you ever had a friend or a role model that left a wide gap behind when he moved away or died? Have you ever tried to be that kind of person? In today’s post, I would like talk about my family motto that touches upon that point. My family motto is “Bloom wherever you are planted,” which is the statement that passed on from forefathers to my current family generation. This motto is not just words of mouth, rather it tells about a characteristic that we, as an extended family, try to inculcate in our offspring, teaching them to be good citizens wherever they are. It is the piece of advice I used to receive whenever I asked for help or to be advised. Let me explain the original Arabic variant of this motto which is

 "كن كالغيث أينما حل نفع ولا تكن كالبركان كلما ثار فجع"

This can be translated as “Do your utmost to be like rainwater, whenever it falls, it brings about life and goodness and do not be like a volcano whenever it erupts, it causes devastation and catastrophes.” We usually suffice by mentioning the first part only. I portrayed this motto in the picture of the water cycle, when I went to the middle school and studied science. The English equivalent of this motto is “Bloom wherever you are planted.” The interrelationship between these two eloquent statements is that both call upon everyone to be beneficial everywhere they are. Whenever they are absent, they leave a gap that can hardly be filled.

     To sum up, bloom wherever you are planted is part of my family’s legacy. I think if we all were to apply this motto, we would reach our potential. We would not be selfish, caring for nothing but feathering our nests. Rather, we will give priority to the well-being of the whole society over our own individual interests. Actually, this simple motto can serve as a magic wand that can turn our world to be a better place to live in.