Page 14 - Pakistan Link -June 7, 2024

P14 - PAKISTAN LINK - JUNE 7, 2024 COMMUNITY

Pakistan’s Finest Turn Cowboys n By C. Naseer Ahmad The Roses of Our Lives
Washington, DC
for the T20 Cricket World Cup pring in Washington brings a
vibrant transition into the warm
Sembrace of summer, offering us
a treasure trove of nature's beauty to
cherish. Amongst the
enchanting blooms,
the resplendent roses
take center stage,
emanating their mes-
merizing beauty with
pride. If you take a
closer look, you may
notice a few fading petals gently de-
scending, while others gracefully scat-
ter on the ground. However, even in The Remaining Three - left to right: C. Naseer Ahmad( author), Naseer Ah-
their graceful decline, the roses leave mad, Safeer Ahmad
behind an exquisite scent that dances
in the air, capturing precious memo- times found ourselves in the midst ones, just as we relish the sight of our
ries of their splendor and the fleeting of trouble, facing the discipline of cherished roses. Sometimes, it could be
moments of joy they brought. Besides, my father who was a military officer. the aroma of a particular dish that brings
they carry the promise of new life, However, thanks to the guidance and back memories of enjoying it in the
paving the way for rosehips and fresh wisdom of our parents and teachers, company of a dear one. At other times,
blossoms yet to come. we each found our own path to suc- it could be the gentle sound of raindrops
he Men in Green are now the ly themed photoshoots, but they have Life itself mirrors the profound cess, traversing different walks of life or the melodies of a piece of music.
Men in Hats as they turned done some dance challenges. Guess not symbolism of the rose. Each morning while cherishing the indelible memo- Locations, too, can serve as vivid
Tcowboys for the promos of the everyone was made for the cowboy life as we awaken, we gather experiences, ries we shared. We were also fortunate reminders of loved ones – even close
T20 Cricket World Cup! — including Captain Babar Azam who both challenging and delightful, from enough to witness the blooming of friends not related by blood. For in-
Promo photos rarely catch our eye, was MIA from the fun photoshoot! the previous day. Just outside my front rosebuds in our lives, in the form of stance, while traveling to be with fam-
but then we saw the cowboy-themed X (formerly Twitter) was abuzz ily during this recent loss, each time
pictures and knew we couldn’t let it when the pictures from the photoshoot I crossed Exit 39B, I couldn't help
slide. Also, please excuse our pun in dropped. but miss two roses in my life, Dr Riaz
the excerpt, we couldn’t help ourselves. People were as convinced as we Haider and Herb Schmitz, with whom
Obviously the ICC had a fun video are about how legit the Pakistan team I would often have lunch on the patio
to share too, complete with old western looks as cowboys. overlooking the beautiful landscape of
music and a lot of old school swagger. Some team members may have tak- the Congressional Country Club on
Also, can we just say, Iftikhar was made en more convincing to play cowboys… River Road in Potomac, Maryland. My
to be a cowboy. But they got in the spirit of things. mind's camera has captured the images
Erin Holland agrees with us — she The Pakistan team is there for a of those precious moments together,
wants him to be in the next season of good time — and hopefully a long time just as it has captured the gatherings
Yellowstone, our favorite modern-day too! with loved ones.
cowboy drama. We think so too! In a time when owning a camera
Why the cowboy theme, you may We’re now eagerly awaiting June was considered a rarity, capturing a
ask? Well, several of the matches are 9, when Pakistan takes on India in photograph required a visit to a pho-
being held in Texas! We don’t know New York. That’ll be a real show- The Missing Man Formation - Left to right: Empty Chair for Safeer Ahmad tographer's shop, creating a treasured
why no other teams have done similar- down. - Images (who was in Holland then), Zaheer Ahmad, Bhai Munir Ahmad visual reminder. This may be a foreign
concept to younger generations, but for
Dr Helen Mary Roberts Becomes door, three resilient rose plants stand our children and grandchildren, who those of us from the baby boomer era,
tall, serving as a constant reminder of seem to have found the same fertile group photos were rare treats, cher-
First Female Brigadier of Pak Army nature's unwavering blessings through- ground that carried us this far. ished keepsakes purchased with the
out past and present seasons.
In our faith, we say "To Him we be- joyous celebration money.
from Christian Community bedroom, two elegantly framed pic- a loved one passes away. This profound days that my cousins Bhai Munir,
It was during one of the Eid holi-
Inside the intimate confines of my long and to Him we shall return" when
tures hold deep significance. One im- thought resonates deeply within us. my namesake, myself, and their two
mortalizes the sacred moment of our younger brothers used the money
wedding, eternally reminding us of the gifted by our parents to have a group
power of love and commitment. The photograph taken in a humble village
other serves as a poignant tribute to the shop. Little did we realize then that it
roses plucked away during the winters would encapsulate a moment of our in-
of my life. Among those frozen in time, nocent childhood together. Similar to
my beloved parents' youngest child – the group photo with my parents, the
whom everyone called Baby - takes her youngest cousin Zaheer in our group
place in the front row, departed from photo somehow ended up departing
this world at the tender age of sixteen. first. And now, with Bhai Munir's pass-
Much like the uncertainty of which rose ing, only three of us remain - each one
petal will delicately fall, the loved ones grateful to witness the bloom of count-
within that photograph have also de- less rosebuds in the form of our chil-
parted, leaving only two of us – my be- dren and grandchildren.
Brigadier Dr Helen Mary Roberts — United Nations (X) loved Apa Mateen with a heart of gold The passing of loved ones often
and this author - remaining on the right Eid Group Photo - Seated left to brings to mind Hemingway's book
r Helen Mary Roberts has APP news agency quoted the In- side. As readers encounter such pic- right: Safeer Ahmad, Zaheer Ah- "For Whom the Bell Tolls." Instantly,
been promoted to the rank ter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) tures or reflect upon their own families, mad, Bhai Munir Ahmad; standing the pages turn to the climax where the
Dof Brigadier in the Pakistan as saying that Dr Helen Mary Rob- they may witness the roses lingering or left to right Naseer Ahmad and C. badly wounded protagonist Robert
Army Medical Corps, making her the ert was “another living example of observe them gradually vanishing in an Naseer Ahmad ( author) Jordan tells his lover Maria and other
first female Brigadier to hail from the merit and national representation” entirely different sequence. Life, with its compatriots to leave the battlefield and
country’s Christian community. in the Pakistan Army. Before Briga- whimsy, carries its unique design, and Additionally, we can examine the reali- go on with their lives.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in dier Roberts, Maj Gen Nigar Johar such is the essence of existence. ties of life, which are equally true and In a similar fashion, in this real-life
a post on X, congratulated Brigadier had broken gender barriers in June One of the roses taken away on thought-provoking: human story, Bhai Munir's soul and
Roberts on her promotion, saying, 2020 by becoming the country’s first May 26, 2024, by the hands of fate was "To everything there is a season, those of the lost roses of our lives are
“Brigadier Helen Mary Roberts is the female officer to be promoted to the my cousin, Bhai Munir Ahmad, with and a time for every purpose under saying to the roses and the precious
first female Brigadier from a minority rank of lieutenant general. whom I spent countless summers. He, heaven: rosebuds resplendent on the resilient
community in Pakistan, the entire na- According to a statement from along with his younger brother, my a time to be born and a time to die, rose plants of our lives:
tion, including me, congratulates her.” then-ISPR Director General Maj Gen namesake, were my trusted playmates a time to plant and a time to up- "You are me now, and you are all
Brigadier Roberts has served as a Babar Iftikhar, the officer was also ap- during those precious visits from root." that is left of me. Go on now, bloom to
pathologist in the Pakistan Army Med- pointed as the first female surgeon gen- our parents' ancestral hometown. As It is undeniably human to reminisce your fullest in the springs and all the
ical Corps for 26 years. eral of the Pakistan Army. - Dawn mischievous young boys, we some- about the times we spent with our loved seasons of your lives."
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