dead by midnight

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster. Your life will never be the same again."


Og Mandino

frail

Main Entry: frail 

Pronunciation: \ˈfrāl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French fraile, from Latin fragilis fragile, fromfrangere

Date: 14th century

1 : easily led into evil 
2 : easily broken or destroyed : fragile
3 a : physically weak b : slight, unsubstantial

synonyms see weak

I'm sitting here with Zach sleeping peacefully on my lap waiting for the Tylenol PM to kick in when I thought about how frail relationships are. Sometimes a few choice words or quick key strokes can break a friendship or at least maim it. I look back on the cavalier attitude I had toward different relationships and I shiver. It also brought to mind one of my favorite quotes by Anais Nin:

“Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish it's source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings.”

This type of murder is applicable not only to our relationships with our family, friend and e-buddies but also to our relationship with God. Recently I've been finding religious things that were once easy to me have become a struggle. This post is really a reminder first and foremost to myself to handle all of my relationships with care.

There are some aspects of friendship that I just plain suck at and I am going to start actively working on. I am really trying to do a physical, mental and spiritual detox so that I can live up to my potential in all areas.

Peace,

m

The Reluctant Teacher

Just when I thought I was out... they pull me back in.!!!

Michael Corleone

So basically I was bribed, guilted into asked to start teaching again at the mosque. I have to work on a proper curriculum and after I get back from visiting my mom and my bestie really devote a lot of time to this venture. Without being too negative I will say that we really need more community involvement. The teaching staff has, again, boiled down to me with Zach and my husband.

I'm accepting all prayers, lesson plan, or any ideas you can spring on me!

be positive

my focus for the rest of the year is being positive verbally and mentally. positive affirmations, finding the silver lining etc. i am also going to start journaling again. if i write something negative in my journal I have to write a possible positive effect of whatever it is!

that it's for now wait! I'm doing www.yepanotherone.com's Vanity Insanity challenge and i'm doing pretty good :). my nails look presentable, i have a pre-poo on my hair as I type this, and tomorrow I'm hoping to get a pedicure and do a diy lactic acid peel!

my son, hijra, twitter yadda yadda yadda

salaams everyone! can i mention that i have been so busy and lazy lately! Zach's sleeping schedule changed and that added on top of my insomnia and my 3:30AM Arabic class led to zombie like Hijabi Apprentice. It took all my energy to look after Zach, cook, kinda clean and sit on Twitter all day lol. So I'll just give a small update:

Zach: He has 3.5 teeth, is walking, building his vocabulary in a couple languages, can climb down the stairs now as well as up, he says Ameen at the end of Al Fatiha when he hears it masha Allah and is cute and yummy!

Arabic classes: I miss 4 classes in a row recently because of exhaustion and Zach being awake. I am SO behind on my homework but insha Allah I can catch up a bit tomorrow.

Twitter: I'm light weight obsessed. I think I need to take a step back lol. I was "unfollowed" by a couple of Muslimahs and my feelings were so hurt. I'll blame it (my hurt feelings) on hormones and keep it moving. I mean really it's supposed to be fun and I was taking it too serious.

Hijra/Extended Vacation: I am moving in about 7 - 8 months. I think we will be there for a year or so. Nervous but not so much as to make my eye twitch anymore lol.

Sunday School: I am no longer an official teacher. Zach is no longer a baby who can be expected to sleep away the 4 hour class and since my SIL both work Sundays I have no daycare. So now I've been using the few hours to try to catch up on sleep IF Zach cooperates lol.

Ilm: My hubby and I are starting a tafsir class just he and I a few times a week. I'm excited about that.

Family: My mom has been ill recently so please keep our family in your dua. I still think that I have the best in-laws ever. OH, I'm hosting family dinners the first Sunday of the month at my house. The first one is 11/1 and I'm making lasagna!

Umm I think that is it loves.

Chat with you later :).

easy v. difficult

"To find a fault is easy; to do better may be difficult."

Plutarch

Shawwal-ing It

"Whosoever observes fast in Ramadan and then follows up with six fasts in Shawwal, will be regarded as though he had been fasting every day." (Reported by Muslim)

I just made up my missed days of Ramadan and today starts my 6 of Shawwal insha Allah. I've been told in the past that you can "double down" and fast with double intention. I've read shuyukh say that this is fine and I've read other opinions stating you need to "pay back" your missed fasts then fast your 6.

Ladies, what do you normally do?

ma'a salaamah,

ha