UmmQaylah convinced me to post this here... originally posted in one of the sisters sections..
A couple weeks ago a friend of mine showed me a quote (cant remember it exactly) "Although the grass may seem greener on the other side, it’s the fruits that grow in our own orchards that we need the most" and asked me on my reflections on it. My instant reply was that although we always wish for what other people have we have all we really need, but we fail to realize it. They had similar reflections on it, adding to what I said though they said that sometimes we don’t realize the value of what we have until we loose it.
The way I was thinking when I told them my reflection wasn’t material things, but rather the situations we go through everyday. A lot of times we look at our problems and think that everyone else is better off than us, yet we fail to see the good that comes from these difficulties. We also fail to realize that sometimes the people that we think are the "best off" "carefree" etc. are sometimes the ones that go through the most.
I have a friend, one of the sweetest and kindest people I know, often people consider her well off, think she has everything anyone could dream of, and wish they were in her shoes. But how many times has she told me things like "Maryam, I really hate my life." or "you're the only one that understands me and what I go through, I just wish I could die.". We often look at our problems and trials and think that there can be no one else in the world going through anything worse, but we never bother to look at all the orphans and masakeen in the war torn countries, we just continue to drown ourselves in our own sorrow.
Everyone reacts to a difficulty/trial/problem in a different way, and each person has their own tolerance level. For example, two friends, A and B, each could be going through a difficult time with A's situation 10x harder but Allah swt has given him sabr and contentment so they appear to not be suffering as much as B who's situation is a lot simpler.
Another lesson I get from this quote is that sometimes the situations we go through are exactly what we need, even if they might look like obstacles and difficulties. Like most people I haven't had the easiest life but when I look back and reflect on the things I've been through I realize how much I have gained from these situations, and I really think it's made me a better/stronger person. Everything we go through is for a reason, and there is a hikma behind it, we just can't see it. And who knows maybe that one difficult or test your going through could be the reason for you to enter jannah if you are patient through it..
I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, or if it makes any sense. Its just something that’s been on my mind, and I felt that I needed to write it.. happens a lot.. usually I'll save you all the pain of having to read it and just post it on the blog, but I have reasons not to this time. Apologies in advance 
