Humility is a very controversial issue. Many of us experience it for awhile and mostly when we are down; it is called ‘forced humility’. Very few like Sami demonstrate humility regardless of where they are and who they have become. Most importantly, very few like Sami show humility consistently in the extent of walking and living it on daily basis. Thus far, I have met very few who endowed with this great attribute. 

What is humility while someone doesn’t have anything to be proud of and show off? Humility is about restraining oneself from failing to relate with others, especially with those who aren’t in his ‘class’. Of course, there is no litmus paper to test who has and who don’t, but like beauty; you know it when you see unadulterated humility.  

Sami was humble when I first met him and before I had got chances to know how genius he was. Later, I came to know him as a born-genius by his own right. Throughout our campus life, he produced results without much effort and that impressed me a lot. While he had all kinds of excuses and reasons to create cloud of ‘super-man’ persona, Sami was always light and approachable. His natural ingenuity never prevented him from relating and be friendly with those of us who weren’t in his ‘class’. Besides, he was very helpful and goes far to help others. How can I forget as far as I live his help in making copies of notes for me while I was frequently away because of my responsibility as student leader of AAU?! I owe you Sami, my dear!! 

Coming to my point about Sami’s consistency in his humility, true be told, I couldn’t trace how many times I had changed my personality during my stay at AAU Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, let alone what had been going on with my moods and behaviors afterwards and throughout my life. So many acrobats and u-turns  LOL Please keep this confession for your-self, confidential. However, that isn’t true about Sami, at least, as far as I know. Ready to get updates from those of you who were close to him while he was out of my radar? Nevertheless, I doubt if he changed much. He was consistent in his personality- humble, friendly, and helpful. 

Any ways, we got graduated and every one of us pursued different paths. Afterwards, once in awhile, I met Sami a couple of times (I truly regret about my failure to spend ample time with Sami; those opportunities were missed for once and for all; life-time lesson). During those encounters, he was as he was and where I left him in terms of his humble personality and the care he demonstrates towards others. 

Later, not sure the year but Sami went to pursue his Master’s in Europe. While he was there, I had a privilege to exchange emails with him. I remember once he was sharing with me how cold it was for him and oh how I unleashed and bombarded on him my usual ‘pep-talk’ (my trade mark LOL) by saying 'be strong and be patient my friend, you can withstand it', bla bla... Well, I am not like Sami, have serious trouble to easily relate with other people’s pain, challenge, and this is my damn weakness; hope, Sami had forgiven me. Since I came to the States, I have understood what cold feels, especially during winter. Any ways, I never heard from him since that time until I got a shocking email of his premature passing from one of our friends. 

I couldn’t believe it and still cannot. By nature, I don’t cry (unhealthy, yah?). I remember seriously crying only a couple of times before that. These from the bottom of my heart cries were when my dad and some of my friends prematurly died. And these were long time ago. 

My cry for Sami was both out of love because Sami should never died prematurely. He was, truly, special not just for me but I am sure for anyone who came in contact with him. I was also full of guilt because I knew I was crazily busy and didn’t spend enough time with him when I had the chance as we had used to before I became crazily busy due to my commitment as a student leader and afterwards due to my obsessive career ambition. I guess this is a syndrome of many of us. We don’t appreciate and treat loved once while they are alive and we cry like this, as I do it now, after it is all but too late. Unfortunate! 

During those days, following that uneventful email, I waited so many times and hoped someone would email me that that bad news was just fake and rumor. It wasn’t April; otherwise, I would have thought it was April fool’s day. Let me stop my memorial article to a dear friend. The pain remains so sharp for all of us who loved Sami because he never showed any sign of he was leaving. I was told he wasn’t sick. Well, Sami is now gone with his consistent humility, without warning us!

Sami, we miss you!

Sami, far right; myself second from left. It was in July 2000 when we were graduated from FVM @ AAU.