The true wisdom of life is to recognize and embrace the value of each stage
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
Life is a journey that begins the moment we are born and continues until our very last breath. This journey is made up of many steps and stages, each carrying with it a new face, a new color, and a new lesson. What seems vital in childhood may lose its value in youth; what feels like an irresistible dream in youth may become buried under the heavy weight of responsibilities in middle age; and what gives comfort and peace in old age may once have seemed meaningless in youth.
If we think of life as a story, then its chapters are childhood, youth, middle age, and old age. The beauty of life lies in this constant shift of priorities, yet the process of learning never truly ends.
Childhood: The Foundation of Innocence and Learning
It is often said that the impressions of childhood last throughout one’s entire life. A child’s mind is like a blank page on which environment and upbringing leave their marks. At this stage, nothing is more important than the love, care, and attention of parents. For a child, milk and food, the joy of toys and play, the shelter of parental arms, and the warmth of family are treasures greater than gold. Childhood is where the first foundations of learning are laid, like speaking, writing, discovering the world, and making sense of it.
In childhood, love and guidance are equally essential, for they build the foundation of personality and character. Whatever values, affection, and moral education are given at this stage become a permanent part of a person’s life.
Take the story of Sajid, a boy born in a small village of the Dadu district. Despite living in a simple home with few educational facilities, his mother constantly encouraged him to study. His father’s hard work and his mother’s attention pushed him toward education. Sajid’s childhood was spent not only with toys but also with books. Today, he is an engineer, yet his passion for reading remains as strong as ever. His life is a reminder that even in humble beginnings, parental love and encouragement can plant seeds of greatness.
Youth: The Season of Dreams and Discoveries
Youth is both the brightest and the most dangerous period of life. At this stage, dreams are born, and with boundless energy, a person struggles to achieve them. Education, ambition, friendships, and personal identity take center stage. Youth is about building one’s future, exploring possibilities, and testing one’s strengths.
Desires in youth are many, and energy is overflowing, but so are the chances of mistakes. Emotions often overpower reason. If education, discipline, and hard work are prioritized, youth become the foundation of success. But if aimless desires dominate, the future can easily crumble.
Truly, youth is a test, where patience, effort, and wise decisions determine the course of an entire lifetime.
Consider the story of Zarina from Hyderabad Sindh, the daughter of a schoolteacher. Her dream was to become a doctor, but her family could not afford private medical education. Instead of giving up, she worked tirelessly to earn a scholarship. With persistence and determination, she succeeded, completing her medical degree in Mirpurkhas. Today, she runs free medical camps for women in rural areas. She often says, “It is important to dream in youth, but it is even more important to struggle for those dreams.”
Middle Age: The Weight of Responsibilities and the Pursuit of Stability
When a person enters middle age, the center of priorities shifts once again. For many, this stage is filled with hard work, sacrifices, and sometimes exhaustion. Now, responsibilities, career stability, and family become most important. Marriage, children’s education, household expenses, aging parents, and social obligations all converge at once.
In middle age, love is no longer only about emotions but about sacrifice and care, choosing to place one’s own dreams behind in order to fulfill the dreams of loved ones. At this stage, the true question is not only about wealth or possessions, but about legacy. What will we leave for the next generation? Just material things or also values, respect, and love?
Take the story of Ali Sher, a government employee from Nawabshah. With a wife, a son, and two daughters, his life became a cycle of responsibilities: his children’s education, his parents’ medical needs, and the endless challenges of his job. He once dreamed of higher studies abroad, a big house, and a new car. But he gave up all of those dreams for his family. Today, his joy lies in watching his son study at a university and his daughters pass exams with distinction. He says, “My happiness is now their success.”
Middle age teaches us that the greatest importance lies in fulfilling responsibilities and making sacrifices for the next generation.
Old Age: The Era of Wisdom, Memories, and Inner Peace
As a person grows old, they begin to look back at life, taking pride in their achievements, regretting their mistakes, and realizing the fleeting nature of worldly desires. At this stage, peace, health, and spirituality often replace ambition and material pursuits.
Now, companionship matters more than competition, and time spent with family and old friends becomes the greatest treasure. The elderly find joy in revisiting memories, sharing experiences, and offering advice to younger generations. The support, love, and respect of children become the true wealth of this stage.
There is a profound truth in old age: that the greatest treasure in life is not wealth or fame, but love, dignity, and peace.
Consider the story of Muhammad Bakhsh, a retired schoolteacher from Sukkur, now in his seventies. He spent his life shaping students’ futures. Today, his biggest joy is when his former students come to visit him and say, “Sain, you changed my life.” He reflects: “In old age, money is not what we need most, but it is respect, companionship, and the knowledge that our work lives on in others.”
The Lesson of Life
The stages of life teach us that each age has its own unique beauty and lessons. Childhood gives us innocence and learning; youth inspires us with dreams and energy; middle age grounds us with responsibility and sacrifice; old age blesses us with wisdom and peace.
Life, then, is like a river, flowing with changing currents at every turn, innocence in childhood, passion in youth, burden in middle age, and calm in old age. Its meaning is not bound to any single stage but lies in understanding what is important at each moment.
The true wisdom of life is to recognize and embrace the value of each stage, play and love in childhood, ambition and effort in youth, responsibility in middle age, and serenity in old age. Together, these make a complete and purposeful life.
Life’s beauty lies in the fact that every step brings a new lesson, and true intelligence lies in knowing which lesson matters most in that moment. If we learn these lessons well, then life becomes more than just a passage of time; it becomes an inspiration, not only for ourselves but for the generations to come.
Because ultimately, to understand time is to understand life itself.
Read: The Global Talent Exodus
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
