#MyExperience: Family

I stood on the stage with my head held high and a toothy grin. It was graduation day and I couldn't help but reminisce about all the memories I had made and the knowledge I had gained this past school year. There wasn't a feeling quite like it in the world; waving to your cheering family as you grasped your diploma brought an unrivaled joy that I cherished. At that moment, my eyes drifted towards my classmate, who was hugging his sister and cousin. I suddenly remembered that he was an orphan and didn't have as large a family as I did. And in that brief moment of realization, I understood that mercy came in all forms. It dawned on me that not everyone had a loving family or someone they could spend the holidays with. Not everyone had people who expressed their unconditional love for them in their lives and made sure that they never felt alone. Not everyone had people to cheer for them on the sidelines and look past their faults. Mercy isn't just when someone at the hands of death is let off the hook. Mercy is in the things we take for granted, like our family. Having people that care for you the moment you enter this world is a blessing and rahma from Allah and we should constantly thank Him for giving us such a great favor. There are so many people without mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles and even just an individual who truly loves them. Glancing at my laughing family that graduation day, I muttered an "Alhamdulillah" and vowed to always think of the favors I had. From that moment on, I learned what mercy really was.

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