Yet another Eid away from home, family!
It is the third consecutive eid I am away from my family.
I remember last year, I could not go to my home town of Panjgur for eid because I returned to Quetta from Singapore after speaking at an India-Pakistan conference only a day before the eid. By then, all bus services had stopped. There are no daily flights from Quetta to Panjgur. So, I had to celebrate the eid in my apartment. I wasnt’ alone, surely. I am lucky. A few but highly trustworthy friends always surround to take care of me.
Honestly, it is not very easy to stay away from the family all the time. Sometimes, I feel like being very selfish in terms of pursuing my professional dreams. I am, at the same time, so proud of my family for their complete support they offer me in following my professional goals.
I spent one eid in Chennai, India, in 2005. The other eid day was at an airport in Berlin, Germany. For the last two eids, I have been in the U.S.
What is so special about the Eid that I miss?
I miss my friends from Panjgur/Quetta whom I would meet every eid after a long time. A vast majority of my friends are the ones whom I met during cricketing days or at the American English Language Center. Everyone among those friends truly established long term relations. It just feels like yesterday when we used to talk about our future plans. Some of us would endlessly talk about the entry tests at Bolan Medical College and others would contemplate going to Quetta to enroll in a Masters program. Now, most of us have entered into our professional lives serving in different places of Pakistan and the world in various fields.
The good thing about blogs and social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, is that it has reconnected me with a lot of my old students and colleagues. Life has become a lot more easier now.
I’d like to tell all my friends from the cricket matches, AELC, University of Balochistan and journalism. I love you all.
Eid Mubark is just a formality. For good friends, its Eid day everyday.
For my family, I am so very thankful for your profound moral support. I love you all.
