As I was distributing new Eid clothes and shoes for the flood affectees in Shikarpur and Sukkur this last weekend, it got me thinking. The IDPs were thrilled to receive the clothes and, they have been extremely grateful and appreciative of everything we (and other organisations) have been supplying them with each weekend (be it clothes, food or medicine). But I noticed that they were looking forward to Eid – regardless; with or without our aid. How is it possible for someone to look forward to something in such a situation? Their houses were swept sway, meager earnings finished and they are sitting in makeshift camps and schools, waiting and dependent on their countrymen to provide for their daily needs.

Trust me, it is not easy to stand in line and wait as you are handed food you need so desperately. These people may be waiting for handouts but they do have honour and pride as seen in their eyes. Eid is something they would gladly celebrate with whatever they have. People often seem to think we are a doomed nation, that we are a train wreck in slow motion but I have seen with my own eyes that even in such disparity, people helping women and children from among them, so they can get food and other supplies first. I have also seen the resilience of an old man in Shikarpur, doubled over with pain but still in love with this country, claiming that as long as Pakistanis are there for one another - we need nothing else.

With Eid right round the corner, there are messages on Facebook and SMSes being sent, asking people to not celebrate Eid, to go through the motions somberly and to stop sending cakes and gifts. The “how could you” mentality is prevalent and is being used to give guilt trips to all and sundry. Naturally, we city folk enclosed in our bubble of self-promotion/social media/donor spirit have forgotten that a lot of our “celebrating” provides for someone else's Eid in the shape of their livelihood. Celebration goes hand in hand with buying and if we stop this economic activity, those that are reliant on it as day laborers in the cities will also become like the ones we are trying to cease celebrating for.

So instead of taking away from the people who are working to sell bangles, baking cakes and making mehndi cones, let us go and celebrate Eid with the flood affectees. Let us not stop spending but spend double of what we did last Eid, each one of us providing Eid gifts to at least one family whose lives have been damaged beyond recognition because of the floods. We need to realise that any one of us could have been affected, because the floods do no distinguish between social classes. Those people living in the camps or along the roads today could have been you or me. Let’s be generous this Eid and spend it with our fellow citizens who need us.