Lessons from my father, Shukri Alami

My father passed away in 2016. He was a strong presence in my life, and every day I try to follow the example he set for all of us. Here are a few of the things he taught me, things for which I will always love him:

1. Love Everyone, No Matter What!

Despite living through several wars and losing everything twice, he kept going. This amazing man always said that he would live even with the people that caused him harm.

2. Know Who You Are and Be Proud…

…but never think that you are better than anyone. Be humble. My dad always wanted us to visit Palestine, and shared amazing stories about his childhood in Palestine. We visited Palestine almost every year while I was growing up and stayed in my father’s house while we were there.

3. Give as if You Have Everything

One of his favorite sayings was, “Give and gift things to others as you would give water to the ocean.” You cannot really say that you did much, and others would think that you are crazy for giving, so just give and be quiet about it.

4. See the World

We visited 10 countries on average every year during the summer. He taught us all to see and love the world.

5. Do the Right Thing and Do it Right

If you are going to do something, do it really well. Every year in school, I had to get A’s. At the end of the year, he would bring sweets to the entire school.