Water and Other Blessings

~ Yasmin

Hey Everyone!

Hope you’re all doing well!

This post might be a little bit all over the place but I just wanted to share some things that have been on my mind lately.

I know this might sound a little weird but lately I have been thinking a lot about water.  I think it all started when I heard that the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa is about to run out of water in as little as three months. I just found it so shocking that a large city of nearly four million people would run out of water so quickly. I cannot even imagine how much of a nightmare it would be for the people and government of Cape Town if Day Zero becomes a reality.

And then yesterday I was listening to NPR news on the radio and there was a story that UNICEF reported that the majority of the children that are dying in impoverished and war torn nations are not dying from bombs and bullets rather they are dying due to a lack of access to safe and clean water.

These two stories really made me realize that often we take the things that we have for granted. Whenever I get thirsty I go grab my cup and put it under the water filter in our kitchen and thank God in a matter of seconds I am able to drink a cup of safe and clean water but it breaks my heart that millions of innocent children do not have access to this most basic human necessity.

Also, the Cape Town story has really reminded me to be more mindful of how I use water and it has encouraged me to try to avoid wasting water. I think this is especially important for me and all others living in drought stricken areas to start implementing water saving strategies because some reports are suggesting that other large drought stricken cities, such as Los Angeles, should also be careful.

In the mornings, I usually like to listen to the news on the radio and recently I heard a story about the increasing number of homeless people here in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Once again, this story really pulled at my heart strings because it reminded me that there are people that are suffering right in my own backyard. To make matters worse the story added that the local authorities were basically trying to kick out the homeless people from the encampments they had created and in the process they were throwing away many of the basic possessions that these homeless people had with them. Its tragic that in one of the most affluent parts of the world there are still people that are suffering.

On another note, my heart goes out top my parents homeland, Afghanistan. More than 130 people have died in the past two weeks due to various terrorist attacks. Yes the story has been covered by the news media but unfortunately I haven’t seen an outpouring of support on social media. I think that, God forbid, if this were to happen to a Western nation then there would have been a larger outpouring of condolences and support.

To be completely honest I don’t blame anyone I just think that people have gotten so used to hearing about tragedies in war torn nations such as Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, etc. that they’ve become desensitized to it. We assume that these tragedies are just a common part of life in these nations but we often forget that these people are human beings just like us and they have similar dreams and aspirations and for them this unnecessary and inhumane death and destruction is just as painful.

I certainly hope that this post doesn’t make anyone too sad rather my goal is to remind myself first and then my dear readers that sometimes we are stuck in our own bubble as they say. We are often so focused on our own problems and we focus on what we lack rather than all that we have been blessed with.

With Love,

Yasmin

 

 

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24 thoughts on “Water and Other Blessings”

  1. Perhaps it is because like you, I live in an area prone to drought, I take much more notice of water than I used to. To my mind, this will ultimately become the world’s biggest problem. We have had times when water restrictions have become pretty severe. However I have witnessed whole towns run out or almost run out of water.
    I think when I was travelling across the outback, I stayed in placed where it had not rained in three years. Lack of water destroys lives, even here. Farmers for example lose their livelihood. This can have devastating effects on them and their families.
    On the subject of Afghanistan Yasmin, I am so sorry to hear people are experiencing this. You are so right in what you say. Thank you for sharing this.

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    1. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and for your kind words about the situation in Afghanistan. I definitely agree with you that in the future water scarcity is unfortunately going to become a larger problem. I find your experiences in the outback to be very interesting and eye opening. To be honest before hearing about Cape Town I’ve never imagined that an area could completely run out of water!

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  5. Yasmin, I’m heart-broken by all that happens in your family’s homeland and nearby countries from so long ago 😦 I thought both times of sending my condolence to you, but then I got distracted by my own petty issues. I apologize.
    Also, beyond war and death, misery and injustice, lack of water and food, climatic change, etc. the real problem is just this gang of world leaders who fuel it all for personal power and wealth (or their nation’s); those who thrive out of war and other’s calamity. I do think any single life of a Syrian or Afghan or Iraqi person is much worthier than all first nation’s leaders in a bunch. I’m so pissed off!!!

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    1. Thank you so much! You definitely don’t have to apologize you’ve always shown me nothing but love and support for the Afghan people and and I really appreciate that!😘 I try to stay away from politics but I absolutely do agree with you that the overwhelming majority of the worlds problems are caused by the worlds leaders, by their cruel and inhumane decisions! I definitely share with you a sense of anger at the current world leadership. I just don’t know hoe some of these people sleep at night!

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      1. Neither I know :/ But I hope they could never ever sleep or rest a single second for all eternity.
        As for the rest, since both of us belong -for different motives- to the same “nation” of the despised, abused and damned, we must stand together and help us each other as much we are able to. At least with words and thoughts… *Warm Hugs and a kiss, sis*. Take care of yourself and yours, as you already do 🙂

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      2. Thank you so much and I agree that we must all stand up for each other as you mentioned at least in our words and thoughts. I am grateful to you for all of your love and support! Sending you lots of hugs and kisses😘😘

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  8. Thank You Yasmin for reminding us how very fortunate we all are here in the U.S. and how so many countries are struggling through war, hunger, poverty and lack of water and sanitation, all of which often go hand in hand. What is happening in Afghanistan is tragic. What has happened in Syria is criminal. The lack of empathy on the part of too many Westerners and our leaders is appalling. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to see your parents homeland and it’s people suffering so much. My heart goes out to them.

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