“Life is like an ocean, it is constantly changing and always in motion” this quote is one of the main things that I remember my mom telling me when I was younger. It means that like an ocean, life itself is always changing, because it has to. She told me that if an ocean sat still for too long, then it turns into an unattractive swamp. But with the constant change in the tides, the ocean will always be fresh and beautiful.

I tend to think about this quote whenever my life throws me a challenge. I really feel like I have been able to overcome a lot of difficulties and challenges in my life because of the wisdom my mother gave me.

Due to all these benefits that I have received from my wise, little mother, I really believe that having a family and a structure is essential for guidance in your own personal life. Although I don’t mean having the typical family of a mom, a dad, and 2.5 children, I mean a family of people that you love and care for. In my own life I never really had too much of a connection with my dad, as I only lived with my mom and sister.

But even though I never had that typical, complete family, I really began to understand the difference in what my mother referred to as a house to a home. Of course, there are always age old sayings like, home is where the heart is, but more importantly I discovered that you can have a place to live, and consider it a mere house. Within a regular house, once it is filled with love and family, you can begin to consider it a home.

Although it may sound strange, one of the most memorable things in my home was that of my mothers cooking. After coming back from a hard day of work or school, finding the aroma of a freshly cooked chicken or beef dish, was very satisfying. It just made me feel at home, a place where the outside world stops, a little untouchable cave in a sense.

It may just be food, but I believe that it was the system that we had that made it so worth while. I have been noticing more and more that as now I am busier with college and job, my meals are just on the go. I can eat breakfast in my car, lunch at work, and dinner quickly by the television before bed. A system like that is alright for a couple of days, but after a while I almost felt deprived. I had no idea that eating that home cooked meal at the dining table with my family would change my lifestyle to drastically. I believe that even if you don’t have time to cook an authentic Pakistani dish, it is essential to eat whatever is made as a family, conversing about your day and life at the table. I guess it is only one of those things that you really need.

I personally am really glad to see this book ‘Jasmine in Her Hair’. I believe that it is not only filled with the recipes that I grew up with, but it is filled with my mothers spirit of cooking. As this book is a tribute to her mother, perhaps in a sense this foreword can be a tribute to mine.

To a woman that has filled my life with love and happiness,
I will never forget my mother.

Samir Karimi