Yesterday, as I watched her stand radiant on that stage — the oldest participant in Bahrain’s Grand Qur’an Competition, – my heart swelled with pride and gratitude. This one is for my 75 year old Mama (May Allah bless her).
She is proof that learning has no age limit, and that the quest for knowledge is a path that never ends — it just deepens. She taught me something no formal school ever could: that growth is a mindset, not a milestone.
The Legacy of Lifelong Learning Begins at Home
I never consciously realized that the spirit of lifelong learning was instilled in me; not by lectures or degrees, but by the lived values of the people around me.
Growing up, my father was not an avid reader at all, but for some reason; we had an entire wall covered in books — titles in English and Arabic, Encycolpedias, fiction and religion, politics and poetry. That wall fascinated me as a teenager in the 80s. I would sneak books off the shelves and discover the world in paragraphs and paper.
Then there’s my mother – a housewife with formal education only until secondary school. Yet, decades later,after raising us, she enrolled in Qur’anic studies. Not for anyone else. Just for herself. She studied for four years, completed the programme, and began teaching others. And now, year after year, she stands proud as the oldest Qur’an Memoriser receiving her annual recognition.
It’s one of the proudest honors I hold in my life — being her daughter.
Our Contexts May Differ, But Our Values Can Align
I don’t study the Qur’an as she does, but in my own world — in boardrooms, leadership forums, books, coaching conversations; I chase growth with the same hunger. I want to earn. I want to become more. I want to stay curious, evolving, open – not just for me, but for those I lead and those I love.
Because values are not inherited genetically. They’re absorbed by watching…… And children don’t listen to what we say — they mirror who we are.
Science Agrees: Your Brain Can Grow at Any Age
Here’s the science that backs my mother’s journey — and all of ours:
According to the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, children absorb values primarily through modeling and observation. Bandura’s social learning theory emphasizes that what kids see consistently shapes what they become.
Neuroplasticity: The brain is capable of forming new neural pathways at any age. Learning new skills, especially meaningful and emotionally engaging ones, boosts memory, attention, and even happiness.
Neuromelanin: This dark pigment in our brain cells helps protect neurons and contributes to mental sharpness well into older age. Studies suggest a connection between active mental engagement and better neuromelanin preservation.
A 2021 Nature study showed that lifelong learners maintain more grey matter density — the stuff responsible for decision-making and memory.
Let’s Create Homes that Echo with Growth
Imagine homes where:
- Books are always within reach
- Curiosity is never mocked
- Elders still study and share what they learn
- Family dinners include deep questions, not just small talk
- Children grow up with role models who never stopped becoming
We may not all learn the same things. But we can all live by the same spirit of learning.
To My Mama… and the Legacy She’s Building
Thank you for showing me that growth doesn’t stop at 30, 50, or 70. That ambition isn’t about career titles — it’s about becoming who you’re meant to be. That you can raise a family and raise your intellect. That you can change lives even after you’ve changed diapers and helped with homework. I aspire to one day grow into the version of you ; in my own world, my own way ; that still collects badges of learning and keeps giving back at every stage of life.
So here’s to lifelong learners…
To our mothers and fathers who modeled curiosity without naming it.
To the professionals still attending workshops after decades in the field.
To every person who picks up a book not because they have to, but because they want to.
And to the next generation, watching us closely ; we owe them environments that honor growth.
Let’s normalize lifelong learning. Let’s live it, speak it, show it. And most of all… let’s never stop learning.
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