Sabbar ke phal meethe hotein hai

The fruits of patience are very sweet

Shanzeh told me she heard this proverb many times especially from her parents and her elder relatives, her family s from the city of Peshawar, Pakistan. She says this proverb would be used when either she or someone around her was being impatient. There was one time in particular that she recalls hearing this saying from her mother. Shanzeh was about seven years old and her birthday was approaching, she remembers being in her parents room and seeing a very large box wrapped up. It just had to be her birthday present her parents were hiding from her. Just as she was about ready to rip off the wrapping, her mother grabbed her by the hand and scolded her. This of course set her into a fit of tears, as seven year olds typically do when not getting their way. Later as her mother talked to her she mentioned this proverb. There were several instances in Shanzeh’s life where she heard this saying, but felt this situation was a perfect application.

Shanzeh agrees that this proverb could certainly be directed at children because of their often impatient behavior. But she also mentioned that it is not limited to just use toward children. It is very natural for people to always be wanting things, we live in a very materialistic world. Shanzeh feels as though we focus too much on our material wants and that if wait and let things happen naturally, everything will work out in the end.

I would agree with Shanzeh’s thoughts on this proverb. It reminds me very much of the other proverb, “patience is a virtue.” Indeed, that ideal was reflected in Shanzeh’s thoughts and in my own as well. The situation in which Shanzeh recalls the proverb being used also reflects the very materialistic attitude many people have in life today. I feel this is quite apparent in the United States today, unfortunately I feel the majority of my generation has no appreciation for hard work. It seems that Shanzeh took her mother’s words to heart because the Shanzeh I know today is one of the most hardworking people I know here. Just recently she has been pledging a business “forority” which is a long process. She has displayed great patience and worked very hard. She was recently initiated and she was rewarded greatly, proving the proverb quite true. If more people could display patience and understand things are not easily handed to you, the world would be a better place.