There are thousands of things you take for granted each day. You have many things in life. You do not realize what you have until you lose it.

You forget about the little things, the things that seem unimpressive, menial or normal.

But what happens when you lose them, either temporarily or forever. That is when you start to see what truly matters to you.

Food is a basic necessity of life, and sadly, there are many who go without. It is very easy to take food for granted, because most of us eat 2-3 times a day.

Consider yourself blessed if you have food for your belly on a regular basis and do not need to worry about where your next meal will come from.

There are many people in this World who do not have a home.

Living on the street or in a refugee camp is not something that any of us would choose, but unfortunately some of us have to deal with in life.

If you have your own home or a place to live, please do not take it for granted. It may not be a palace, but it is a place to rest your head.

Should you not just be happy you have food on the table and a roof over your head. So many people in the World would do anything for these things, but you still complain everyday that you do not have enough.

Life is too short to waste your time thinking about what you do not have. Things do not make you happy, it is how you feel within yourself that really matters.

Her name is Malak, meaning ‘Angel’ in Arabic. She had lost her mother and father and had not eaten in days.

Malak’s parents married young, and they died together as Iraqi forces fought to liberate Fallujah and the surrounding countryside.