I thank God that I'm a product of my parents. That they infected

When Shakira, the artist whose voice and spirit transcend nations, said, “I thank God that I'm a product of my parents. That they infected me with their intelligence and energy for life, with their thirst for knowledge and their love. I'm grateful that I know where I come from,” she spoke not only as a daughter, but as a child of heritage, of lineage, of the living chain that binds the past to the present. Her words are both a song of gratitude and a meditation on identity—a truth the ancients themselves understood: that to know one’s origin is to possess a map of the soul. In her expression lies a timeless wisdom—that greatness does not arise from isolation, but from roots, nourished by those who came before.

Shakira was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, a land of music, rhythm, and mingled cultures. Her father was of Lebanese descent, her mother Colombian—a marriage of worlds that would later bloom in her art. Her sound carries the pulse of both East and West, and in this she recognizes the inheritance of spirit her parents gave her. When she speaks of being “infected” by their intelligence and energy, she means that their essence did not merely teach her—it transformed her. They gave her not possessions, but passions; not wealth, but wisdom. And this, she reminds us, is the truest legacy one generation can leave another: the contagion of curiosity and love.

To the ancients, such gratitude would have been sacred. The philosophers of Greece, the poets of China, the sages of Africa—all taught that a person who forgets their parents forgets their foundation. The Roman thinker Cicero once said that gratitude is the parent of all virtues, for it teaches the soul humility and remembrance. In Shakira’s words, gratitude is not a polite gesture—it is a form of worship, a recognition that we are made from the stories, the values, and the courage of those who raised us. To thank one’s parents is to honor the divine continuity of life itself.

There is a story from history that echoes this truth—the tale of Alexander the Great. When a philosopher once asked him who had taught him the most, Alexander replied, “My father gave me life, but Aristotle taught me how to live it.” He understood, as Shakira does, that inheritance is not only blood, but also intellect and inspiration. What her parents gave her—their thirst for knowledge and zest for life—became the foundation upon which she built her empire of music. She stands as living proof that when the wisdom of one generation flows freely into the next, it gives rise to greatness that transcends time and culture.

Yet in her words there is something more intimate, more tender: “I’m grateful that I know where I come from.” This is not only gratitude—it is anchorage. In a world that often prizes novelty over memory, Shakira reminds us that to know one’s origin is to possess strength against the storms of uncertainty. The one who forgets their roots is easily swayed by every passing wind, but the one who remembers stands firm, unshaken by fame, wealth, or circumstance. Her success did not erase her origin; it deepened her reverence for it. She knows that the branches of her life reach high only because the roots of her heart run deep.

There is profound wisdom in this recognition. Too often, people seek greatness without understanding that greatness itself is a continuation, not a creation from nothing. The inventors, artists, and leaders who changed the world were all, in some sense, the sum of those who nurtured them. Consider Isaac Newton, who humbly declared, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” This humility, this awareness of connection, is the same flame that burns in Shakira’s words. She does not claim to be self-made, for she knows the truth that all the wise have known: no one creates themselves alone.

And so, let the lesson be this: honor your roots. Give thanks to those who shaped your mind and spirit—parents, mentors, friends, ancestors—those whose love and labor you carry within you, whether you realize it or not. Remember that the energy of those who came before lives in your heartbeat, that their dreams flow in your blood. When you succeed, do not stand apart from them; stand because of them. To know where you come from is to know who you are—and to know who you are is to walk your path with purpose, dignity, and strength.

For as Shakira teaches through her gratitude, the soul that remembers its origin can never be lost. The river of life flows strongest when it knows its source. So, thank those who gave you your beginnings, not only in words but in deeds—by living with the same intelligence, love, and passion for life they placed within you. Then, when others look upon your journey, they too will see reflected in you the beauty of all who made you—and the chain of gratitude will continue, unbroken, from generation to generation.