I do not believe in perpetual happiness. For it is very ignorant for one to be in a constant state of joy with the circumstances the world is under. On the other hand, I want to emphasize that I do not believe life is bad at all and that there is more good in this world than bad.

It is unfortunate that a villainous few who hold places of power get away with their tactics. Whether it be Xi, MBS, Bachelet or any of the other players that have come in the way of good work being done to prevent mass atrocities, we mustn’t slow down our work. As I hear the news of UN’s visit to China, I get angry. I also find peace in knowing that there is a large community who feels the same and is willing to fight.

I’ve been visiting the graveyard often in the past couple weeks, pondering about the inevitability death. I wondered how I could ever smile or enter my house without my grandmother’s presence. It was wild to think that we are convinced we have an abundance of time; this was my thought as I prayed over the grave of my 19 year old friend who got stabbed a week ago today.

Regardless of what negative things you have in your life, you are deserving of a smile. Although I still cry as I remember my grandmothers life, I smile and laugh more often for the honour I had of being her youngest grandson. I smile knowing that she is in a better place, and calm down when remembering that I too need to strive for my afterlife to be a better place.

When I give presentations on the Uyghur Plight, I remind the audience that the covered topics will likely make them sad and that it is very human to feel as such when hearing about an ongoing genocide. I also mention that I do not want any pity. I say that “although it hurts me to speak about this topic, it makes me happy knowing that there are people such as yourself willing to listen and do good work”.

There are many ups and downs in our life, to focus on one aspect more than the other is a disservice to the human experience. You need the lows to appreciate the highs. To truly enjoy a hot cup of tea by a fire, one needs to be thirsty on a winter night.