Gathering Inspiration | Issue 04.

Seeking Inspiration in the World and People Around us 🌎

Dear By Lamplight Community,

This month, our theme is Gathering Inspiration — turning our attention toward the people, places, stories, and moments that remind us of what is possible.

In a world that often asks us to focus on what is broken, gathering inspiration becomes an intentional practice of remembering what gives us life. It is the choice to look for the sparks of wisdom, resilience, creativity, and beauty that continue to shine even in the midst of difficulty. As they say, “where attention flows — energy goes”.

The stories shared this month remind us that our perspective is everything. How we look at a situation can transform it from a painful heartache — to a source of strength and resilience.

As we read these poems and stories, we are reminded that suffering is not the end of the story. The heartbreaks, losses, uncertainties, and obstacles we encounter can become places where courage is cultivated and where we discover gifts we never knew we carried.

This month, we invite you to gather inspiration from the voices of our Living Wisdom students — from their courage to continue learning, their dreams for the future, and their unwavering belief that there is still magic and hope in the world around them.

Through Samreen’s poem, The Power of One Yes, we witness how one person’s belief can illuminate a path for many. Through Khujesta’s painting and poem, The Daughters of Afghanistan, we see the courage of girls who continue to carry dreams beneath difficult skies. Through Elham and Daisy’s reflections, we are reminded that a closed door does not always mean the end of a journey — sometimes it is the beginning of a new chapter. And through Rain’s questions about the meaning of life, we are invited to sit with the mystery, beauty, and uncertainty of being human.

Together, these stories illuminate a powerful truth: our lives are shaped not only by what happens to us, but by what we choose to create with what happens to us.

May we continue to gather the light wherever we find it. May we remember that every act of courage, every moment of perseverance, and every hand extended in kindness has the potential to become a source of hope for someone else.

With warmth and gratitude,

Alexandra, Samreen and Ashima

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The Power of One Yes
by Samreen Makfhi

A single word, spoken with faith,
can rewrite an entire life.
One yes from someone's lips
can become the sunrise after years
of darkness.

One yes from Sir Nitai opened
the doors I thought were forever closed.
It carried me to my high school graduation.
It pointed me toward an online university.
It placed work into my hands.

He held my hand
when I could barely stand.
Today, my hands reach for my family, my students,
and every heart searching for someone to believe in them.
My students hold the hands of their families, their friends,
their neighbors, even strangers.

One hand finds another.
One light awakens another.
Lives lift lives.
In Dari we say, “If you are upright,
extend your hand to the fallen.”

And so,
one hand becomes many.
One yes becomes a thousand.
One spark becomes
a sky full of stars.

Who knew
that a single yes
could become a bridge
across impossible distances?
Who knew
that one voice

could become a North Star,
orienting another soul toward home?
Perhaps this is the miracle
of Living Wisdom Schools.

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The Daughters of Afghanistan

Acrylic Painting & Poem by Khujesta

They carry dreams beneath the sky, with hopeful hearts that never die.

Though storms may come and shadows fall, their courage rises through it all.

They hold a book, they hold a light, they keep on walking toward what’s right.

No wall can stop a mind that grows, like springtime flowers through the snows.

Their voices whisper, then they sing, of hope that every dawn will bring.

With faith, with strength, with love so true, they paint the world with brighter hues.

One day the stars will clearly see, every girl deserves to dream and be free.

The daughters of Afghanistan stand tall, their hope and courage inspire us all.

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The Girl I Am Becoming
by Elham

When I was seven years old, I started school. I was a playful girl whodid not have any worries, and I would put my books on my back and head to school. On the way to my school, there was a cemetery where people who had passed away were buried. My grandmother always told me that whenever I passed by it, I should say Salawat, and she taught me how to say it. After that, I always recited Salawat, kissed the graves, and went to school. On my way back home from school, I did the same thing.

As the days passed, I came to know myself better. When I reached the fourth grade, I realized who I was, who my father was, who my mother was, and what my goal was. I understood why my mother and grandmother always told me that whenever I came near the cemetery, I should say Salawat and ask God to make me successful, because my father was there.

Then I realized it. I understood that my mother was my teacher.

After my father, my goal and my dream became to be a “successful girl”; I did not know much about success at that time, but I knew that it was what my father and mother wanted, and still want, for me.

Sometimes I wondered, “Why me?”, I was upset with God and asked what the reason for this was. I spent my days and nights lost in thought until I reached the seventh grade and came to the understanding that in life, we must fight, never give up, and become successful. I realized that life is a chance God gives to His servants, and we should live it in the best way possible while we have the opportunity.

A few months later, we heard that the Taliban would come. People said that when they came, education would be banned. During their previous rule, many students had been killed in educational centers. I was afraid of their arrival, and fear, anxiety, and hopelessness could be seen on every girl’s face.

The day they took over Kabul, they closed our school—the small place I called home and the path toward becoming a successful girl. That school was not only a dream for me, but also for many girls from near and far. They closed the door to our home. The eyes of all my classmates were filled with pain, grief, and despair. And today, it has been almost five years that this grief and hatred have remained inside every Afghan girl.

Every day we witnessed events that were more painful and heartbreaking than the day before. One day we heard that girls who did not wear a complete hijab were being taken away, and no one knew where they were taken. Another day we heard that a girl had been kidnapped. Another day, we heard that a girl had taken her own life. These pains continue to this day. But the words hope, goal, dream, and success remain alive inside Afghan girls, and they are what keep us going.

From the day Kabul fell, I decided that I would never accept defeat. I decided that one day I would show them my achievements and tell them that no obstacle can keep us away from our goals. I started teaching what I had learned to young girls and boys, and day by day I saw the results with my own eyes. I realized that there is nothing more rewarding than that. I worked on my personal skills, embraced hope and perseverance, and to this day I have come to fully understand that the key to success for every Afghan girl is to keep going.

We will keep going until one day we show the world who a successful girl truly is.

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A New Chapter of Hope
by Daisy

Three years ago, I thought my journey of learning had come to an end. Because of circumstances beyond my control, I had to leave school, and it was one of the most difficult experiences of my life.

Watching my brother continue his education while I had to stay away from school was one of the hardest parts for me. I was happy to see him learning and moving forward, but I deeply missed being in a classroom, studying with my friends, and not having the opportunity to learn. I even had mental health issues, I was depressed and stressed that I cried when I saw my books.

But life sometimes brings unexpected opportunities. After a year, I was given the chance to continue my education through Living Wisdom International Online Middle School. This opportunity became a turning point in my life. It reminded me that even when a path becomes difficult, there can still be a new way forward.

Through this experience, I learned that inspiration can come from many places: from the support of family, the kindness of teachers, the courage to keep trying, and the belief that our dreams are still possible.

I am grateful for every person who has supported me on this journey. Today, I continue learning with hope and determination. My story is still being written, but I hope that sharing it can remind someone else that a difficult chapter does not mean the end of the story.

Sometimes, the moments that challenge us the most can become the moments that inspire us to grow.

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Meaning of Life
by Rain

Sometimes l question life, “what is the purpose of living?”

“Why are we in this world?”

And as a Muslim, “why life is life so hard”.

So, Allah created this world hard — “why are we the victim now?”

And with the difficulties life holds, “why sometimes it feels so sweet?”

“What is going on on this earth?

I am curious to know.

“Actually what we are doing?”

I cannot remember the past.

I cannot guess the future.

And I have been watching myself grow

and life is going on like a river.

“What will happen at the end?”