To Daniel — 2024

Your vocabulary will shape your character.

The self-centred crowd says you deserve the best, and therefore you deserve anything; that neither God nor I nor your mother wants that for you; that the nonsense about “allowing yourself to collapse” is for the soft kids.

As for you: prepare yourself with patience. And if you break, be gentle and merciful with yourself.

The centre belongs to God alone.

Try to stay away from psychological entitlement — especially towards society, because it will make you and everyone around you miserable.

There are no quick psychological results. Be patient.

Faith.

Patience… contentment… strength, trust, will and resolve… not complaining or grumbling… hope… wisdom.

Your relationships…

Back to self-centredness: there is no such thing as deserving attention, and don't raise the ceiling of your expectations.

Everyone carries what is enough for them — even the empty one: his emptiness is killing him.

Let go of the harmful. Deal with the harm.

These days people are deluded into helplessness about everything. Don't be affected by them; nothing is impossible.

Learn fast — traits, skills, spiritual things — because practice takes time. What you learn is one thing and real life is another, but one is built on the other.

Help is measured by the load. Don't borrow worry. Push on: every responsibility comes with its own provision and its own consequences.

You will never be ready. Move, and you will get ready on the road.

Anything psychological or religious that does not grow out of your own culture is heavily tampered with. Take what benefits you and try to stay away from globalisation.

Honour the elder. Stand up for him on public transport, and help him even if you don't know him.

Don't try to play God's role with the leper. You will pass by, and afterwards you will say “if only.”

And “if only” has never built a house.

As for manhood, a big part of it is trustworthiness — and safety.

Be trustworthy, and you will be trusted with the small and the great. The rest comes later.

Trade well.

If you are given five talents, the least you bring back is ten.

There is accounting, and there is no money left over.

Learn, and keep learning and growing. Stay humble even when you see that you are advancing.

Check where your provision comes from — lawful or unlawful — because even if it wears you out, there is no blessing in it like there is in what is lawful. Save, and get what you need. Beware these days' credit cards: they have left the beggar holding an apple he cannot eat.

Lucky you, with your mother. Try to find a capable, trustworthy woman and get to know her — she is the one who will carry your home and my grandchildren.

Take care of your siblings. The eldest carries a heavy responsibility.

Better to be the least among the skilled and clever than to be the odd one out, alone in the corner.

What you cannot change, love a little — or love it more — until God delivers you from it.

Contentment is the key to happiness.

“Patience is the desire of the intelligent, while sweets are the desire of children. Whoever is patient rises to the heavens, and whoever eats sweets walks backwards.”

Jalal al-Din Rumi

Unveiling belongs to the One able to raise you — spiritually and psychologically — to His level or higher. Not to anyone else.

As you love Grandpa Maher, keep listening to his hymns, clap and dance to them, and listen to his teaching.

Don't forget your baptismal name: who is like God?

Keep the Book, and it will keep you.

Give people their due even when they don't know it. The hungry one is the one who eats first.

Your intelligence is one thing and your awareness is another. Awareness, awareness, awareness.

Trial hangs on the word. Don't sing words that bring worry and trouble on you.

Don't play the victim. Pass by and forgive.

Firmness and seriousness in small and great things matter more than people's opinions and talk.

Trace everything: what it was, where it came from, what changed, who did it, and why. Your head will settle and you will solve many problems.

Cook your own food as much as you can. Whoever has his food cooked for him is easily controlled.

And often he has no judgement over himself.

The seventh day is rest.

The seventh year is rest.