Pride

– is something I feel when I achieve something on my own or with the help of others.

Something I worked on, something I created. Something perhaps, that was there before and that I was able to improve.

Of that, I can be proud.

I can be proud of my brothers and sisters who became great people.

People who managed to be great parents in spite of all the difficulties and who are raising wonderful children, of whom they can be proud in turn.

I can be proud of my siblings who, in spite of all the highs and lows in their lives, always did find a way to go on and I can be proud if I was allowed and able to contribute to that.

I’m proud of the gushing I produce in this blog. Even though it’s nothing more than a tiny spot on a tiny grain of sand in the giant hourglass of time… because I can point at it and proudly proclaim: “I did that!”

I can be proud of conquering my demons and overcoming my laziness, of forcing myself to get up my lazy butt and do instead of complaining.

I can be proud of having shown the discipline and the perseverance to finish a marathon. I can be proud of having cared for my body so it can endure this strain.

I can on the other hand only call my self lucky to have received a body that gave me the necessary requirements.

I can only call myself lucky to have inherited good genes, which in turn come from countless generations before me who mixed again and again to – in the end result in me.

I cannot be proud of that. That was lucky.

I was lucky to have been born here.

Lucky that my parents decided to come here and look for a better future for their children and that they took that opportunity.

I am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful and lovely people, who were also put in this world and this environment, so we can take part in each others lives.

Their parents too, did take the decision to come or stay here – a long or not so long time ago – they cannot be proud of that.

That was very lucky for us all.

It’s lucky for us to be able to recognize our luck and also that we don’t announce to be proud of things we just got by sheer chance.

We are not proud to be here or to live here – we are lucky and count our blessings for this fortune. We didn’t do anything for it.

We just were put on this field on that giant playing board and were told that it’s our move.

I didn’t achieve that. It was given to me.

I admire what people here and everywhere achieved, made and created and I aspire to contribute to that, so that others can be as lucky and live the same good life that I was given.

I can’t be proud to be (your nationality here). I didn’t do anything for it.