Bracelets
I like grouping my experiences in life on my wrists. In my culture, this can be seen as weird, but by wearing my bracelets I am establishing my own identity, even if I am pushing against cultural norms. Each accessory is important to me, as each reminds me of important things that happened yesterday that made me who I am today and help me become who I want to be tomorrow.
Being Bahraini, family is very important in my life. Every week, I visit my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. I used to spend summers with my grandparents, listening to stories and playing board games. I bought my first bracelet, a woven leather one, while walking the streets of Spain with them. My grandfather bought it, and a spare. He told me to give it to someone who would be happy to have it. He was teaching me generosity. I gifted it to our family cook, who has worked for us for 21 years. Alongside my father, he was always there to put a smile on my face or pick me up when I fell. He’s a member of our family. I’ve bought matching bracelets for us every summer since. While the bracelet deteriorates, the joy it brings lasts. This experience taught me to love helping others and putting a smile on people’s faces.
That love led me to Tanzania. There, I volunteered with the WE organization to build a school. During this humbling experience, I participated in a bracelet making course taught by the “Mamas” in the village, who sometimes make bracelets for additional income. Even though I was slow in making the beaded bracelet, the mamas were patient and thorough teachers. My blue and black bracelet reminds me to be kind, caring, and welcoming. It reminds me of the importance of making anyone feel at home, just like the mamas did with my friends and me.
As I grew, it was time to start wearing a watch. This was a joyful time for my beloved grandfather, the watch fanatic. He was my role model, and is still my definition of a great man. He treated everyone with respect, and was generous and wise. He never went anywhere without his watch. When I asked why, he explained that it symbolized becoming the man he was, and it would do the same with me. It has. He said every bump and scratch represented a challenge overcome, giving the watch and the wearer character. One bump on my watch I got when I was learning to gallop a horse and fell. Even though that was painful, I got back on and learned. Since my grandfather passed away, my watch reminds me to preserve his legacy. All my knocks and bumps make me stronger than I was before.
My newest accessory, my metal chain bracelet, reminds me of an extremely valuable lesson, to value work itself rather than the reward it brings. My junior year, I moved schools, and began classes a month late. That and the new curriculum led my grades to drop. I had to raise them. The reward would be the bracelet. I began working harder, asking more questions and joining discussions. I stayed with teachers after school or learned from YouTube, studying things like oligopoly market structure online, and researching modern day oligopolistic markets such as OPEC. The challenge sparked a hunger to better myself. As my work ethic improved, I began finding pleasure simply in working hard and pushing my limits, valuing progress toward my long term goals. Each link in the bracelet symbolizes a short term goal achieved in order to achieve my long term goal.
As I continue on my journey as a college student, I expect to face new challenges that are harder than any I have faced before. But with those challenges comes growth, and I have plenty of free space on my wrists.