When you become a grandparent, something profound happens. Your heart begins living outside your body.
It walks around in tiny shoes. Calls you by special names – Opa and Nima. Asks impossible questions. Laughs with abandon. Falls asleep on your chest. And suddenly, the future matters in an entirely different way.
Today, our sweet Coco Iman did her Bay’ah to become an Ismaili. And as I’ve reflected on this moment, I’ve realized that what grandparents truly carry are not just memories. We carry wishes.
Sacred hopes for the little people who will one day inherit this world.
And so these are some of our wishes and prayers for our grandchildren – Mos. Amaal. Robi. Coco.
May you be kind In a world that can sometimes feel harsh, may kindness remain your instinct.
May you be brave, because courage matters most when life is hard.
May you know who you are. May your faith anchor you. May your values guide you. May your character speak louder than your accomplishments.
May you become global citizens. Curious about people. Respectful of differences.Able to sit at tables with those who look, speak, pray, and live differently than you do.
May you speak many languages. Not just with your tongue – but with your heart. The language of compassion. The language of service. The language of human connection.
May you reach your potential. Not the version the world demands of you – but the version of you that God intended.
May you understand the covenant of family. That family is not merely biology. It is loyalty. Presence. Forgiveness. Showing up. Again and again and again.
May you know that you come from people who prayed for you long before you understood prayer. People who loved you before you took your first breath. People who will stand beside you – in triumph, heartbreak, uncertainty, faith, and joy.
And perhaps most of all, may you always know you are deeply loved.
What a privilege it is to be entrusted with these little souls for a brief moment in time. To guide them. To cheer for them. To pray for them. To love them fiercely. And then, one day, to watch them become who they were always meant to be, with God’s grace.
And in the end, perhaps that is what grandparents truly do. We become the keepers of hope for the generations still to come.
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