Amjad was late for work. He was hurriedly trying to tie his shoelaces, hadn’t had breakfast yet and was wearing clothes that were not properly ironed. He glanced at the clock and sighed. This had become his routine over the past few months.

He felt overwhelmed by everything that had suddenly been placed on his shoulders. He was unable to wake up on time, often skipped breakfast because he was running late and left home wearing unironed clothes. His work began to suffer too. He started making careless mistakes and missing deadlines, and his colleagues and managers began to consider him an irresponsible employee.

But Amjad wasn’t irresponsible. He was hardworking, punctual and took his responsibilities seriously. It was just that the recent change in his life had made it difficult for him to keep up with everything.

Amjad’s world turned upside down the day his mother passed away. She had always taken care of everything at home. His clothes were always ready, breakfast was served on the table and he could leave for work without thinking about what needed to be done at home. He had taken it all for granted because she had always been there. Now, suddenly, she wasn’t.

When Amjad grew up and went to college, he should have started taking responsibility for himself, but he didn’t. His mother tried to teach him, but Amjad refused to learn. Amjad didn’t realise that he would struggle without knowing how to take care of himself. Despite doing well academically, he could do very little else.

His father hired a maid to cook and clean the house but, of course, she couldn’t help Amjad in all the ways his mother had. His friends also made fun of him when they saw his messy room and unironed shirt.

One evening, Amjad sat quietly in his room and remembered his mother trying to teach him basic life skills. He understood that she had been preparing him for a life in which she would not always be there to help him.

With tears in his eyes, Amjad decided that he would no longer depend on others for every small task. He began learning how to cook simple meals, wash dishes, fold clothes, organise his room, iron his clothes and basically take care of himself.

It was difficult at first, but slowly, he became independent. Amjad finally understood that the small responsibilities he had once ignored were the skills that helped a person stand on their own feet.

Never consider small responsibilities a waste of time. Learn to take care of yourself while you have the chance, because true independence begins with knowing how to handle the little things in life.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 10th, 2026