“Living amid beauty comes with responsibility, not just pride.”
Gratitude isn’t just a feeling, it’s how we treat the place we call home. We wake up surrounded by mountains people cross oceans to see, and yet somehow forget to thank the land we live on daily. In Nepal, beauty that surrounds us constantly risks becoming invisible. The mountains, the fresh air, the rivers and open spaces….. These aren't things everyone gets to live with but are a part of our everyday lives and maybe that’s why we barely notice them anymore, except in pictures or in moments of nostalgia.
Kathmandu didn’t always feel this heavy. Over the years the city has changed quietly but drastically. Streets that once felt open and walkable are now crowded with concrete , dust and constant construction. In the rush to modernise, we built quickly and rarely stopped to think about what we are leaving behind. The old Kathmandu one with charm and balance now exists only in a few corners of the valley.
A lot of this shift comes from taking our surroundings for granted: Rivers turned into dumping sites, roads turned into endless construction sites and vanishing public spaces. This does not mean we are against development, only that it shouldn't come at the cost of neglect. Every winter the difference becomes impossible to ignore. Just across the border, many cities in neighboring India wake up to hazardous air quality day after day, people stay indoors, schools shut, masks become a part of their daily routine, and stepping outside becomes a health risk. Kathmandu hasn’t reached that point yet but the signs are there: dry air, dust-filled streets and pollution that affects daily life. What we should be aiming for is a city that feels distinct, not just another capital. With tourism as one of our major sources of income, the city should leave visitors wanting more, not looking for the next place to escape.
Perhaps the real question is: How do we show gratitude for the place we call home? And what can we do as citizens to treat our city with the same care we give our homes and the basic comforts we depend on every day?
In the grand scheme of things, it starts with the basics: keeping our streets clean, respecting shared spaces and teaching children basic good habits. With technology at our fingertips, we can do a lot more than just doomscroll, we can actually make a difference. Real change doesn’t come from grand gestures or perfect systems, but in the everyday habits we have learned to ignore. It's tempting to point fingers, but cities don't change unless the people living in them do. We have a shared responsibility to lead by example, help others learn and change our own habits because you can’t change the world until you change yourself.
Gratitude in this sense isn't about pride or praise, it’s about care. It shows up in how we treat public spaces, in the discipline we practise and in the choices we make when no one is watching and the effort we put into what we have been given. It’s reflected less in words and more in everyday actions that slowly shape the city we live in.
Kathmandu doesn’t need to be perfect, it needs care, care from people we are willing to try, be mindful and to take responsibility in small but consistent ways. Over time, it's these small efforts that turn a city into a place we are proud to call home.
