My Family Culture

If my country was subject to a major catastrophe and I was ordered to leave with the possibility to never return, I would pack three items, the Holy Qur’an, my father’s will, and my grandmother’s recipe book.

The Qur’an is the holy book of Muslims. As a practicing Muslim, this book represents the most important part of my identity, my religion. Reading in this book will help me preserve my religious identity as well as my Arabic language.

Next, I would pack my father’s will. When my father passed away, he left my siblings and I three- page will that I regard as pearls of wisdom, his life lessons and advice wrapped in a small package. These pages are what lift me up when I am down, guide me when I am lost, and give me courage to pursue my dreams.   

Last, I would pack my grandmother’s recipe book. As I make her traditional recipes, I would be reminded of the rich culture I left behind and the happy memories each meal brought to my family.

It would a mixed feeling of sorrow and anger if upon arrival to the host country, I was told to give up two of the three items. However, my choice would definitely be to keep the Holy book of Qur’an over anything else as without my religion, I have no identity.

As a result of this exercise, I gained so much insight into my own identity. It was extremely hard to choose three items. I thought narrowing it down to three would be the challenge, however; once I started examining my connection to each item, I found it easy to choose what truly represents me.