A light in the dark

Dreams have the power to turn a person of disability into a person of determination says Najla Al Tenaiji

Hello Again my fellow Kintsugi readers, how are you all doing? Though it was hard for a while there, by now it seems we all have learned the new norms of our post-pandemic society. We have learned to be resilient, patient, flexible and socially distant, temporarily replacing face-to-face friendships with virtual ones. And yet, we all are still the same old beings, people full of compassion and plans and dreams.

Helen Keller, my true inspiration, once said that ‘the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.’ Dreams have the power to turn a person of disability into a person of determination. My dreams teach me to keep facing the sunshine – as dear Helen did – so we can’t see our shadow.

Helen Keller is always my guiding star. A unique woman who, despite her multiple disabilities (Keller was mute, deaf and blind), rose above those who had the blessing of sight and speech. She was, without a doubt, an exceptional individual who helped others to help themselves.  She was a blessing for people around her and lit a path for those at a disadvantage in life, giving them the vision to work towards prosperity and inner satisfaction. Thanks to a brilliant teacher, Anne Sullivan, Keller was able to overcome the many obstacles in her, turning out to be a  surprising champion of self-improvement.

Life taught me the hard way that we need confidence and faith to dare to dream, so we shall always hold our heads high and look the world right in the eye.

As the saying goes, if you are afraid of failure, you don’t deserve success. To become a true champion you must find a way to take your worst event and make it your best. Self-pity is our worst enemy, and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in the world. As Keller herself noted, ‘the most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but has no vision.’

To grow, we must dream because out of our vulnerabilities will come our strength. Here, I want to share a poem that my sister Al Reem sent me a long time ago during my blue days.

“Dare to Dream
Yes, if you can dare to dream
Surely you can catch the sunlight’s beam
While all else seems to fail
Truth shall forever prevail.”
– Madhavi Sood

I hope it will help to dream when the days seem dark.