Dear Auntie,

I am a 20-year-old man. I belong to a small village in District Nagar, Gilgit-Baltistan. I am writing not with a problem, but with a feeling I find difficult to express.

When I was 11 years old, my family sent me to Karachi to study at a madressah. During that time, a very kind and generous family took me in. They treated me with care and encouraged me to pursue formal education, alongside my religious studies.

With their support, I enrolled in a school and successfully completed my matriculation. They then motivated me to continue further and I completed my intermediate from Gulshan College. Later, with their continued encouragement, I gained admission to Iqra University (Main Campus), where I am now in my final year.

Even today, they are guiding me to pursue an MBA and continue my education. Their kindness, support and belief in me have completely changed the course of my life.

‘How Do I Repay A Family That Changed My Life?’

However, sometimes, I feel confused and overwhelmed when I think about how to properly thank them. Words seem insufficient for the generosity they have shown me. I deeply appreciate everything they have done, but I don’t know how to express my gratitude in a meaningful way.

I would sincerely appreciate your advice on how I can acknowledge and repay such kindness, even in a small way.

Grateful

Dear Grateful,

What a refreshing letter. It truly warmed Auntie’s heart. The feeling you have in your heart is rare and very precious. Your gratitude is genuine and a reminder to all of us to stop our busy lives and think about the countless blessings we have in our lives. The fact that you, at a very young age, are pausing to think about how this family helped you, says a lot about the kind of person you are.

How does anyone repay such kindness? Also, I don’t think that such kind and generous people are waiting to get repaid. The right thing to do would be to honour what they have done for you.  To begin with, you can simply tell them everything you have written to me in this letter. Tell them that their support has literally changed your life. You can also write them a letter telling them all of this.

Also, simply continuing with your education and working hard to build a career is another way to honour their support. Go ahead and finish that degree, and if an MBA is your thing… do it. Live a life that will make them proud of you.

Another way to share your gratitude is to help them out in any way that you can. Help out around their house whenever you can, without being asked. Be respectful and helpful. This will mean more than any grand gesture that you might be considering.

But the best way of honouring this family is to pay it forward and help change someone else’s life. It can be another student from a remote area, who you can support when you are able to.

Also, your story and your deep feelings of gratitude tell me that this family, who supported you, also saw something special in you. They were not wrong about you.

So, don’t look for the right words to express your feelings. Express yourself verbally in whatever way you can. More importantly, take action that honours the family’s kindness and which shows why their kindness was worth it. May God give all of us this problem.

I send you love and good wishes for your journey ahead.

Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in crisis and/or feeling suicidal, please go to your nearest emergency room and seek medical help immediately.
Auntie will not reply privately to any query.
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auntieagni@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, EOS, May 10th, 2026