We often take much for granted, immersing ourselves in ego, mistakenly believing we are the pinnacle of existence. In this chain of life, we focus primarily on the present and future, neglecting to duly acknowledge the past.

By "past," I refer not to my own history, but to the generations that came before me. This realization struck me while teaching my granddaughter our mother tongue, Konkani. I pondered the ancestors who labored to assign meaning to the sounds we now call language and the numerous generations it must have taken for their efforts to be well-received and understood.

I feel compelled to appreciate these endeavors and recognize that I am not solely a product of my own making, as I once believed. Therefore, I amend my belief: I owe a great deal to past generations and am indeed indebted to them.