I could have read a thousand books about gratitude, but then I met Ahmed.
A 32-year-old Palestinian man who reminded me that gratitude is much more than a nine-letter word.
Ahmed speaks three languages. He has two college degrees. He had a family, a home, dreams, and a future he was building toward.
Then, one day, he lost it all.
He was left without his entire family, without a home, and without reliable access to food, clean water, or shelter. He endured illness and unimaginable circumstances that most of us, myself included, can hardly comprehend.
And yet, when I speak with Ahmed, I still hear something that continues to amaze me.
Hope.
He still talks about the future, he still dreams, he still believes that somehow, someday, life can be different.
I have always believed that the universe has a way of sending us messages—sometimes through signs, sometimes through people, sometimes through experiences, and sometimes through all three.
I don’t believe Ahmed and I crossing paths—from opposite sides of the world—was simply a coincidence.To me, it felt like divine intervention.
Most of us, myself included, spend our days working hard to acquire the things we believe will make us happy: a mortgage, a car, a vacation, a comfortable home, and the security that comes with having those things, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with any of that.
A home is important. A car is important. Being able to take a vacation and enjoy the fruits of our hard work is a blessing.But after meeting Ahmed, I began to wonder if perhaps I had been looking at gratitude backwards.
Maybe gratitude isn’t only about being thankful for what I have. Maybe gratitude is also about asking myself:
What can I do with what I have to help someone who has so little?
There is a saying:
“Take care of others, and the universe will take care of you.”
I don’t know if life works exactly that way. But I do know that something inside me changed after meeting Ahmed.I now find myself slowing down while sipping my morning coffee. I slow down while spreading butter on my toast. And sometimes, while sitting there enjoying the simplest things, I think about someone who may be going without those same basic comforts.Not because I feel guilty for what I have,but because I feel grateful that I have it.
Gratitude is not simply something I say anymore. It is something I want to feel—and something I want to act upon. That is why I created a GoFundMe campaign for Ahmed.
I am not asking anyone to give what they cannot afford. And I am not asking for a miracle.I am simply asking that, if you are in a position to help, perhaps you consider giving whatever you comfortably can.But when many people come together, small acts of kindness can become something much bigger.
For Ahmed, it could mean food. Clean water. A safe place to sleep. A little security. And perhaps, most importantly, a reminder that even though he has lost so much, he has not been forgotten.
I began this journey thinking I was helping Ahmed, in many ways, I realize now that Ahmed has helped me.He reminded me to slow down, to appreciate the ordinary, to recognize the blessings I sometimes take for granted.And to understand that gratitude isn’t just a nine letter word.
Sometimes, gratitude is about what we choose to give.
If you would like to help Ahmed or simply share his story, I would be deeply grateful for your support. Because sometimes, the greatest gift we can give another human being is simply letting them know:
You are not alone.