An Open Letter to Patronizers

Help me, or don’t help me, but don’t assume you know better than I how to run my life. The decisions are not yours to make. They are mine. The mistakes are mine, the lessons are mine.

I welcome your solicited advice and expertise. But Habibi is my boat. You are not allowed to board without my permission. That is my engine to turn on or off, my throttle and gears to engage, my helm to stand at, my wheel to turn, my faucet to open or close, my anchor to lower and raise.

A friend told me the story of a wealthy woman he knew who said, “Why would I deprive you of the chance to help yourself?”

Epiphany. I expected people to live up to their words. Instead they give me the opportunity to discover the depths of my resourcefulness.

This is my life. The mistakes are mine, the lessons are mine. And every minute is a miracle.