Hello Friends, 

Thank you so much for your outpouring of love in last week's email. It was so fun to share my Eleventh-year Anniversary celebration with you. Here is this week's story.

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Thursday evening, I received a phone call from school that Friday is a snow day. The kids jumped for joy. There were some high-level expectations from the season’s first snow. 

Friday morning, I woke up in a moody state. I was unable to sleep during the night because of a headache. The joy I was looking forward to didn’t materialize and it seemed like another thing to do to make the kids happy. 

I decided to treat my family and me to some breakfast delivered to our house. While I dressed the kids in their snow gear and put my snow boots ready to soldier on, we received our order on our doorsteps. When I opened the package, I found my name and a smiley face on my coffee cup. Who was this generous soul and how did he/she know that I could use a smile right at that moment? 

The smiley gave me the boost to go out with my kids and enjoy the day. After the craziness of a snowball fight, shoveling snow, and making snow angels, we made a snowman. Each child expressed how much fun they were having. Then, without a warning, my tears started to flow. My late daughter Mehak’s face appeared and I realized how we’ll never be able to have a snow day with her and how Mehak never got to witness the joy of snow. 

Unable to wipe my tears away with a glove full of snow, I wiped my face on the sleeve of my jacket and got up to roll a ball for the body of the snowman hoping the tears would stop. My four-year-old, Haya, caught me and asked why I was crying. She also asked what she could do to make me happy. I didn’t want my kids to bear the burden of my sadness and damper the happiness we created. 

“Haya, I’m sad and it’s OK to be sad just like it’s OK to be happy. You don’t have to make me happy.” I said while I patted her back.

Haya gave me a hug and went on her merry way to enjoy the rest of the snow day. The grief transformed into gratitude. Haya witnessing me helped to internalize what a blessing it was that the four of us were alive to experience a snow day. Mehak’s memory helped me integrate the preciousness of each living moment for we are not promised an eternity to live. 

Life is a privilege and the days we get to live on earth are a gift. Why not use these precious moments to light up someone’s day through small acts of generosity? It can be as simple as making a smiley face on someone’s coffee cup, paying someone’s grocery bill, offering someone a seat to sit on, spending quality time with your loved ones, and witnessing someone’s emotions by lending a listening ear. Life is a finite number of days and in those days are meaningful moments of connection that are worth an eternity.

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If you liked this week's story, I'd love it if you could share it with a friend. Thank you for your love and support.

With love and gratitude, 

Sana Fayyaz

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