A humbling experience

Powerful lesson learnt today:

I admit I lack good driving skills. And this isn't about the men are from mars and women are from venus and how men have excellent spatial and motor skills etc.

I hardly drive eventhough I've had my license for two years. For some reason or another, I just don't seem to be... capable of exceptional vehicle-maneuvering abilities. Today at 4pm, when sending my mom off to the train station and picking up my little brother from school, I almost got into an accident. At the junction in my neighborhood. You're driving 30kmph and still you don't notice the car coming from the other side; completely my fault, I know, because I wasn't focused. Naturally, my mom screamed. She had the right to do so but then with my raging hormones, I got a bit agitated. Throughout the journey, I was "driving too fast", "didn't have the lights on" (because it was raining), and "should brake because that car infront has stopped right in the middle of the road". My mom was -of course- always right but by the time I got back, I vowed never to drive again.

Then I realized I got to pick up my younger brother who'd only be done by 6pm. I told Ahmad to do it and he agreed. But at 6, he was too stressed and told me go pick up Safi instead. I was mumbling and grumbling and did not want to involve myself in accident with the mindset that I was already in. I got in the car and started driving- with Ahmad as the copilot. It was raining, it was a huge JAM because it's 6pm and it's KL. The traffic was horrendous and a journey which should only take 20 minutes took 1 hour. I got frustrated with the cars weaving in and out and the volume of vehicles did scare me. I fumed about on "why on earth does safi has to have whatever he has til 6pm where the traffic is so horrible???" When I finally reached school, I imagined Safi was going to demand why I was late since my mom said to pick him up BY 6pm but it's already 630pm. He was lying on the steps and when I arrived, he got in the car. I didn't say anything. He whispered tiredly, "Hey", got in the back seat and then said softly; "Thank you for picking me up."

And just like that, my heart melted. My angry-infuriated-upset mind did a complete 180 and almost brought me to my knees with that one phrase of gratitude . I bowed my head in shame. It was, I think, one of the most powerful lessons I had ever learnt. One of the most humbling experiences for me. Something I'd share only to remind people: if you're in my condition- be patient and don't assume. and if you're in Safi's shoes- to be understanding, like how he was.

In my heart, as I glanced at him sleeping in the back seat, I whispered, "Thank you for being so cherubic today, little brother. Thank you Allah."