A Daniel Come to Judgement

[The idiom was coined by Shakespeare in ‘The Merchant of Venice’ & refers to a person who is or has been able to wisely settle matters.]

September has been a bit consuming this time. Amidst all the bustle, I got to realize that the month is ready to draw its curtain and I haven’t yet held onto my pen. I am glad to proclaim that I’m a person always trying to stitch my ties with my memories so that they are not lost anywhere in this mundane cycle, not only because they’re so precious but also because they’re so so beautiful. And beautiful things always leave an imprint on my mind (stands true for bad experiences as well).

I don’t easily snap judgements, I rarely do (blame the genes). I always analyze and try to think from others’ perspectives as well, I love doing that. The human psyche is immensely deep, you never know what you learn and relearn by wisely analyzing it and not jumping to conclusions. If you act wisely and don’t do things on the spur of the moment, the beauty is there and then.

I have been observing for months that Yahya always takes out two plates for his untimely treats. Takes the first one and gives it to Waniya. Then he comes back to grab his own serving. A sweet teary moment, right? Well! This took me back to the times when my younger sister Mahnur was a preschooler and whenever she used to go get something for herself, she always picked three of those things. Whether it was a pencil, a pack of chips, lollypops, you name it and she always, always picked three. It was autogenerated in her mind to get whatever she was getting for herself, for her sisters too. Years passed and once Papa mentioned this habit of hers and that how happy he was to see her care for her sisters.

In the delicate world of siblings, love is natural but so are rivalries, comparisons, and unspoken wounds. As parents our role becomes critical. If we infiltrate their bond with favoritism, even subtly, we begin to chip away at something sacred.

But if we, instead, choose to be a “Daniel come to judgment”—fair, discerning, and just—we preserve the essence of their relationship. When siblings know that fairness governs their space, trust grows. Resentment fades. Love, unshaken by injustice, thrives.

It doesn’t take grand gestures—just small, conscious efforts. Listening with equal care, giving each child their own light, and resisting the urge to label or compare.

When we choose justice over preference, we protect not just individuals—but the invisible thread that ties siblings together for life.

Siblings are the strongest and softest shoulders we’re gifted—and the best thing parents can do is protect that bond. When love is nurtured with fairness and small gestures are valued from the start, those emotions grow deep and lasting. And that my friend happens if you have been a Daniel come to judgement when the time called for it.

~ QuratulAin Hamza