And it is this attitude that needs to change. The countries are at war, yes, but not every single person in Pakistan is the enemy. They are also humans, just like us. With dreams and feelings and a heart, just like us.

While this wisdom evades a majority of adults, a post on Humans Of Bombay about an Indian boy, who visits his cousins in Pakistan every year, tells us that being patriotic doesn’t entail nurturing ill will for others. His wisdom is beyond his age and something that we all should learn from.  

Almost every other summer I’ve travelled to Hyderabad in Pakistan to visit my cousins. My mother’s side of the family lives there, so some of the best memories I have has been when my entire family comes together. My cousins and I play outside on the street all day and then run to get some pani puri…but you know didi, their puris are so big, they are like burgers!

Very often when we’re there, a cricket match between India and Pakistan will be going on so we will all sit on one side of the hall and my mother’s side sits on the other side. Everyone is only saying things like ‘oh that was a fluke shot!’ or now you watch ‘next ball is a wicket’ and going crazy cheering. But after everything, when the match is over and every possible comment has been made we sit together and share our food, laughing about everything under the sun. Sometimes I wish everyone could do that and forget about the differences….I wish it could be like that all the time. 

The world would be such a better place if everyone could do that and forget about the differences!