A FOUNDATION

What do I desire?

As early as 1^st grade I’ve been told to follow my passion, to shoot for the stars, and to chase my wildest dreams. Thus, when someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up, I would answer something elaborate like, “a professional skateboarder or a professional lacrosse player,” not knowing how unrealistic either of those truly was. My childhood consisted of answering many hypothetical questions about my future. However, not once has anyone ever asked me, “What would you do, if everything came crashing down?”

The people of Nepal have been forced to answer this question. Their homes, loved ones, and memories have all crumbled to the ground. So you would think that under such pressure, stress and loss that they would be so emotionally exhausted to the point that it would reflect negatively in their behavior. No, the people of Nepal continue to thrive and prosper with such vibrant positivity. Day after day, students show up eager to embark on a new day of learning. They come with smiles on their faces, questions ready to be answered, wearing their uniform with pride and greet us with a more than welcoming “Namaste.”

After experiencing this for about 7 days I thought to myself, how could they possibly be so happy?

So I tried to put myself in their shoes. I imagined a scenario in which my whole world came crashing down…

Then I asked myself, “What do I desire?”

The first thing that popped into my head was a home. I continued to ask myself, “Where would I begin?”

The foundation.

Our lives are like homes. The foundation is a mix of our core principles and beliefs; the exterior is our appearance, which only reflects the beauty of our interior. Each room in our home represents a new chapter of our lives, in which we hang memories of the good and even the bad. Of course each house has their own set of cracks, leaks, and creaks. Like it or not, they are each unique and reflect us as individuals.

However, sometimes life can shake our houses so hard that everything will literally come crumbling to the ground. It feels tragic, lonely, and sad, but you must always remember you have your foundation. You will always have your foundation on which you will rebuild your new home that will be filled with rooms full of memories, bathrooms full of regrets, and closets full of cluttered thoughts.

So remember, when it seems like everything is crashing down, look to your foundation and ask yourself….

What do I desire?