Thursday, March 19, 2009
Silence, revisited
I don't talk. I realized that I just do not talk. I am home on my own in the day time either to work, study or do nothing. Then I go to my evening classes. I walk silently to my bus stop, wait silently for it, remain silent on the bus, and then I reach my school. I might, or most probably might not, exchange a "Hi" or something in the rare case of exchanging eye contact with anyone. They must see me as weird, but it is just that there is nothing to talk about with them or any thing in common. I sometimes remain silent when it is a group project cause it is not worth it to say much or defend my point of view; and I hate to boast anyway, so I just watch. Cause it really is not worth it. Then I take the bus home, have dinner and sleep. And on go the days. Friends? I do not have that at the moment and not sure that I can open the door for that again. Neighbors? None. I barely see them. Family? well, they are in a different country. Kids and husband? Yeah, they bear me and maybe this is where I can be myself and take away most of the layers I hide behind when I am with strangers. I even do not share my good or bad days on Facebook cause it does not represent me much as it represents my mission. So, there you go. I speak only when I write; that is my true voice. And when I don't, then it is back to silence again I think. Do I regret this seclusion? I am not sure I do. Enduring that is ten times easier than missing others, waiting for them, being tormented for their absence or misunderstanding, or expecting them to be there an understand all the way through. Angels do not live on earth, and since I am not one myself and certainly have my limitations, then I decided to remain silent. But hey, I talk to myself sometimes; all the time actually. I think and meditate. I listen way more. And that is making me a better person I hope. Happiness? Well, this is very relative and does not really belong on earth. It is waaaaay up there you know!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
"Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail"
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Harold R. McAlindon
I went through a unique experience a couple of days ago and since Adage is in the fabric of my life and thoughts, I could not resist relating that experience to it. I hope that you would not mind that I share this with you.
I live in Western Canada where the weather is exactly as brutal as it is in the Arctic sometimes. The coldest it might get in Europe, Russia, or even the U.S. is say -20? When it is so where I live, we go out with unbuttoned jackets and call it a mild winter day. I have witnessed the -30s, -40s, and even -50s and because I know that this is not easy to imagine or comprehend let this story explain to you what that is like. The other day I heard in the news about a young lady who collapsed on the sidewalk because she was not dressed properly for the weather. She was barely alive when she was found; her lips were frozen shut, limbs frozen stiff, and it took hours in the hospital to literally “thaw” those limbs back to life. She survived after all, but lost some fingers and toes because of the frost bite! I didn’t fully understand how Hellfire will have seasons of summer and winter till I experienced myself how such weather can actually burn skin and severely damage it. I had such burns on my face when I was not smart enough to cover it one day.
So now that you got the picture, let me get back to my story. It was -36 the other day and I knew that I had to bundle up for the weather when going out. To able to go to my evening classes, I have to walk for a distance of around 500 meters to the nearest bus stop. In the summer, such a walk is a pure joy especially when I am surrounded by luscious green grass, three beautiful clear ponds, nourishing sunshine, and refreshing breeze. It is a long, winding walkway through soft hills that surround houses in my new neighborhood. But it was not so that day. Not long after I was out of the door did I realize that the weather was the least of my concerns. I totally forgot that people who have to work outdoors are legally forbidden to do so when it is below -20. That meant that the walkways were not shoveled and that no one cleared the walkways! Now, after a heavy snow storm that lasted all through the weekend, I am talking here about deep soft snow that has been accumulating for days. After about 100 meters, the walkway gets very steep. It was hard enough to carefully tread on snow, but as I went on, it got deeper and deeper that I found my boots scooping up snow that reached up to my knees; and I am by no means a short lady! Imagine walking in a desert where sand surrounds and paralyzes you as it grips firmly every step you make. But sand is kind because it does not freeze your limbs! It got very scary as I struggled to go on because there was no path to follow. I had to depend on my memory sometimes to remember where to walk. Each time I took a step, my feet got so deep in the snow that I could not get it out and I had to follow that with another step with the other foot to keep my balance. I almost fell so many times and stopped even more times to think of what to do next or where to go. I could not go back; it was too late by then. I had to keep going. I noticed the traces of someone who was there behind me but it was no use to step on those very traces because they too were equally deep. There was no human being anywhere around me to help and I thanked God that no one was there to see the mess I was in. My long skirt kept getting stuck in the snow, my leather handbag was frozen and stiff, and my long boots kept scooping up the snow that chilled my knees and spine; but I had to go on. At that point I completely forgot about the cold and after a long and chilling ordeal, I finally made it to my destination but was left gasping for air that seemed like daggers of freeze stabbing my lungs.
The next day, I dreaded walking there again, but I could not escape it. It was still not easy, but the fact that 24 hours followed the first time on that snow meant that many people have already been there. I literally saw what it means to walk where others have “paved the way” for you. As many people walked there, the snow got leveled that the walk was relatively much easier. I was not the only one there anymore. Others have been there before me that day and defined the walkway for me. I kept watching the snow as I walked and this is when I had the eureka moment of, “This is exactly how it is like in Adage!” Everything seems difficult and almost impossible now. We are defining guidelines, setting standards, and building everything from scratch. We are doing everything we can to provide professional resources, recruit people, learn more and implement it. But none of us did this on his/her own before. No one has shown us the way. We just had the will and unyielding trust in God that this is what we are meant to do with what we know and can do. Years from now, it will be much easier for the generations to come, the languages that will follow, and the members that will join, to proceed and go on. It is simply because others have done it the hard way and paved the way for them. Going alone, like I did, was physically excruciating and mentally dreadful just like it is draining here in Adage to work together to come up with ways to build and improve it for those who will follow. But it will not be so for long God willing; at least not as we pave the way together. I do sincerely believe that we now the pioneers that will keep gaining the reward of those that we are striving to make their lives easier.
That very thought made me stop looking at my destination. I did not have to worry about that anymore. Each step we make now counts. There is no point in worrying about tomorrow when we keep doing what we can for this cause. We are certainly no ordinary people when we believe in God’s aid and strive to please Him. The comfort and reassurance are all in His words, “God does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.” (65 [at-Talāq]: 7)
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْراً
I went through a unique experience a couple of days ago and since Adage is in the fabric of my life and thoughts, I could not resist relating that experience to it. I hope that you would not mind that I share this with you.
I live in Western Canada where the weather is exactly as brutal as it is in the Arctic sometimes. The coldest it might get in Europe, Russia, or even the U.S. is say -20? When it is so where I live, we go out with unbuttoned jackets and call it a mild winter day. I have witnessed the -30s, -40s, and even -50s and because I know that this is not easy to imagine or comprehend let this story explain to you what that is like. The other day I heard in the news about a young lady who collapsed on the sidewalk because she was not dressed properly for the weather. She was barely alive when she was found; her lips were frozen shut, limbs frozen stiff, and it took hours in the hospital to literally “thaw” those limbs back to life. She survived after all, but lost some fingers and toes because of the frost bite! I didn’t fully understand how Hellfire will have seasons of summer and winter till I experienced myself how such weather can actually burn skin and severely damage it. I had such burns on my face when I was not smart enough to cover it one day.
So now that you got the picture, let me get back to my story. It was -36 the other day and I knew that I had to bundle up for the weather when going out. To able to go to my evening classes, I have to walk for a distance of around 500 meters to the nearest bus stop. In the summer, such a walk is a pure joy especially when I am surrounded by luscious green grass, three beautiful clear ponds, nourishing sunshine, and refreshing breeze. It is a long, winding walkway through soft hills that surround houses in my new neighborhood. But it was not so that day. Not long after I was out of the door did I realize that the weather was the least of my concerns. I totally forgot that people who have to work outdoors are legally forbidden to do so when it is below -20. That meant that the walkways were not shoveled and that no one cleared the walkways! Now, after a heavy snow storm that lasted all through the weekend, I am talking here about deep soft snow that has been accumulating for days. After about 100 meters, the walkway gets very steep. It was hard enough to carefully tread on snow, but as I went on, it got deeper and deeper that I found my boots scooping up snow that reached up to my knees; and I am by no means a short lady! Imagine walking in a desert where sand surrounds and paralyzes you as it grips firmly every step you make. But sand is kind because it does not freeze your limbs! It got very scary as I struggled to go on because there was no path to follow. I had to depend on my memory sometimes to remember where to walk. Each time I took a step, my feet got so deep in the snow that I could not get it out and I had to follow that with another step with the other foot to keep my balance. I almost fell so many times and stopped even more times to think of what to do next or where to go. I could not go back; it was too late by then. I had to keep going. I noticed the traces of someone who was there behind me but it was no use to step on those very traces because they too were equally deep. There was no human being anywhere around me to help and I thanked God that no one was there to see the mess I was in. My long skirt kept getting stuck in the snow, my leather handbag was frozen and stiff, and my long boots kept scooping up the snow that chilled my knees and spine; but I had to go on. At that point I completely forgot about the cold and after a long and chilling ordeal, I finally made it to my destination but was left gasping for air that seemed like daggers of freeze stabbing my lungs.
The next day, I dreaded walking there again, but I could not escape it. It was still not easy, but the fact that 24 hours followed the first time on that snow meant that many people have already been there. I literally saw what it means to walk where others have “paved the way” for you. As many people walked there, the snow got leveled that the walk was relatively much easier. I was not the only one there anymore. Others have been there before me that day and defined the walkway for me. I kept watching the snow as I walked and this is when I had the eureka moment of, “This is exactly how it is like in Adage!” Everything seems difficult and almost impossible now. We are defining guidelines, setting standards, and building everything from scratch. We are doing everything we can to provide professional resources, recruit people, learn more and implement it. But none of us did this on his/her own before. No one has shown us the way. We just had the will and unyielding trust in God that this is what we are meant to do with what we know and can do. Years from now, it will be much easier for the generations to come, the languages that will follow, and the members that will join, to proceed and go on. It is simply because others have done it the hard way and paved the way for them. Going alone, like I did, was physically excruciating and mentally dreadful just like it is draining here in Adage to work together to come up with ways to build and improve it for those who will follow. But it will not be so for long God willing; at least not as we pave the way together. I do sincerely believe that we now the pioneers that will keep gaining the reward of those that we are striving to make their lives easier.
That very thought made me stop looking at my destination. I did not have to worry about that anymore. Each step we make now counts. There is no point in worrying about tomorrow when we keep doing what we can for this cause. We are certainly no ordinary people when we believe in God’s aid and strive to please Him. The comfort and reassurance are all in His words, “God does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.” (65 [at-Talāq]: 7)
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْراً
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
25 Random Things/Facts About Me
1- I always thought I should be a singer, or a radio anchor. Yeah, I know! I still sing not-so-cheerful songs and had the audacity to record and share that with close friends at times :-) But reciting Qur'an audibly is actually very much soothing.
2- Played music by ear and till now piano and cello music still hit the right spot and bring me to my knees as they dig in a sadness well I sometimes never knew it existed.
3- Been a stranger and a loner in all shapes and forms; trust me on this one. Have always been the expert, and still am.
4- I am built to be strong, I wonder why I gave up; on life in general.
5- It is interesting what you can see in people's eyes. I read faces, feel voices, sense words, and see through people loud and clear and my first impression is seldom wrong.
6- I have been writing ever since I do not remember when and my dream has always been to write my own book. I stopped for such a long time though as I lost my voice and inner compass. But maybe when I regain that voice it would be an audio book :-)
7- I am best when I am in charge. That said, I know cannot do that alone.
8- It takes a whole lot to let anyone in my inner circle of close people, and not much to let go once I am not appreciated. Any BFF's out there? :-) Yet, flickering candle light, white roses, the smiling contemplative moon and deep blue sea, are my lifelong friends.
9- I am a super mom! They also call me "nerd", "old school", "not cool", and the list goes on. The apples of my eyes, even if they grow taller than me and assume that they know more. I just smile back and say, "when it's your turn to be the parent, you will know."
10- I have learned that it is the ones who do not cry and wail when losing a loved one, that are never able to get over the grief. They learn to live with it.
11- Winter can be literally brutal in here. I dread walking on ice since that got me a concussion not too long ago. I learned to love snow though and live with it. Fresh snow reminds me of beach sand. You can still slip on it; I just did today :-S
12- I hate cooking! I do it as a duty and for survival purposes only. It's weird that I am not bad at it. It is just not my passion. I am an organization freak though. I can get you anything at anytime from my place here; blindfolded (no kidding!) My strict rules drive every one around me nuts. But tough life, you still have to clean up your rooms, and the house, kids!
13- My sense of smelling is annoyingly sharp sometimes. But in the spring... well, the very thought brings a smile to my face.
14- I am in no-man's-land now. I am neither a youngy nor an old lady. Stuck in between!
15- It's scary how you can be your worst enemy especially when your support system fails you down. A wise lady told me today that I have to be there for me at tough times.
16- I will never stop learning. My eyes are wide open, my mind just never stops, and life's strikes and blows will keep teaching me.
17- I once said casually that my life is a series of goodbyes. Cheesy, eh? Never knew where that came from then. Never knew then that it was so true.
18- I miss warmth when I think of my family. It was a real blast the last time when we were all together. It won't be the same now; but life goes on.
19- Been away and around for too long that it is tricky sometimes to know where home is. I know where to resort to though when I miss home.
20- We take our health for granted, till it's time for reality checks!
21- Leaving a legacy behind is an interesting concept.
22- The pride of being a Muslim and the comfort of knowing Allah are what keeps me alive when the going gets tough.
23- I was hiking in a park once when I enjoyed remembering Allah audibly. I knew that the trees and nature around me were all listening and wondered if I was the first one to do this in that remote spot. Doing that has become my secret ever since.
24- It so hard to plan for a future or any career when I am on the move and always on new challenging turfs. Only Adage anchors me down and nourishes my sense of purpose. I will just keep doing what I can and leave the rest to God's most generous hands.
25- Tough situations that require taking a stand bring out in me innate strength, resolution, and strong will.
2- Played music by ear and till now piano and cello music still hit the right spot and bring me to my knees as they dig in a sadness well I sometimes never knew it existed.
3- Been a stranger and a loner in all shapes and forms; trust me on this one. Have always been the expert, and still am.
4- I am built to be strong, I wonder why I gave up; on life in general.
5- It is interesting what you can see in people's eyes. I read faces, feel voices, sense words, and see through people loud and clear and my first impression is seldom wrong.
6- I have been writing ever since I do not remember when and my dream has always been to write my own book. I stopped for such a long time though as I lost my voice and inner compass. But maybe when I regain that voice it would be an audio book :-)
7- I am best when I am in charge. That said, I know cannot do that alone.
8- It takes a whole lot to let anyone in my inner circle of close people, and not much to let go once I am not appreciated. Any BFF's out there? :-) Yet, flickering candle light, white roses, the smiling contemplative moon and deep blue sea, are my lifelong friends.
9- I am a super mom! They also call me "nerd", "old school", "not cool", and the list goes on. The apples of my eyes, even if they grow taller than me and assume that they know more. I just smile back and say, "when it's your turn to be the parent, you will know."
10- I have learned that it is the ones who do not cry and wail when losing a loved one, that are never able to get over the grief. They learn to live with it.
11- Winter can be literally brutal in here. I dread walking on ice since that got me a concussion not too long ago. I learned to love snow though and live with it. Fresh snow reminds me of beach sand. You can still slip on it; I just did today :-S
12- I hate cooking! I do it as a duty and for survival purposes only. It's weird that I am not bad at it. It is just not my passion. I am an organization freak though. I can get you anything at anytime from my place here; blindfolded (no kidding!) My strict rules drive every one around me nuts. But tough life, you still have to clean up your rooms, and the house, kids!
13- My sense of smelling is annoyingly sharp sometimes. But in the spring... well, the very thought brings a smile to my face.
14- I am in no-man's-land now. I am neither a youngy nor an old lady. Stuck in between!
15- It's scary how you can be your worst enemy especially when your support system fails you down. A wise lady told me today that I have to be there for me at tough times.
16- I will never stop learning. My eyes are wide open, my mind just never stops, and life's strikes and blows will keep teaching me.
17- I once said casually that my life is a series of goodbyes. Cheesy, eh? Never knew where that came from then. Never knew then that it was so true.
18- I miss warmth when I think of my family. It was a real blast the last time when we were all together. It won't be the same now; but life goes on.
19- Been away and around for too long that it is tricky sometimes to know where home is. I know where to resort to though when I miss home.
20- We take our health for granted, till it's time for reality checks!
21- Leaving a legacy behind is an interesting concept.
22- The pride of being a Muslim and the comfort of knowing Allah are what keeps me alive when the going gets tough.
23- I was hiking in a park once when I enjoyed remembering Allah audibly. I knew that the trees and nature around me were all listening and wondered if I was the first one to do this in that remote spot. Doing that has become my secret ever since.
24- It so hard to plan for a future or any career when I am on the move and always on new challenging turfs. Only Adage anchors me down and nourishes my sense of purpose. I will just keep doing what I can and leave the rest to God's most generous hands.
25- Tough situations that require taking a stand bring out in me innate strength, resolution, and strong will.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Silence
She stopped writing. Somehow, somewhere she lost her voice. What is the value of mere words in a worthless fading world. The rose is dying. They cut her life supply. She looks now in the eyes of strangers wondering how this and that would be her friend; could be her friend. She wonders what warmth feels like. Those smiles kill her, the smiles of two people who talked cordially to each other. Fake smiles for sure; they too will die. She looks at her reflection and cannot recognize it. Does it show, that reflection of mine, that I have given up? She wonders.
Silence.
Silence.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Adage
A new promising and needed project has finally seen the light. Adage Ltd. is a not-for-profit translation and education company devoted to the production of the first online database of hadīth (the sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad) in different languages, starting with a complete English translation.
Such a project is highly important nowadays, when truth is distorted, and lies are taking the lead, where Islam is constantly being attacked and prejudiced. The core aim of this project is to clear the misunderstandings about Islam, and to spread the fruits of Islamic knowledge to the world. While it can prove highly effective for scholars and Muslims, it can also be very useful to anyone seeking to know more about Islam from an authentic source. Nobody can better represent what Islam is really about more than the Prophet of Islam himself. This is a must-see website that is extending a hand with peace and a real desire for more understanding and tolerance. Please see for yourself:http://www.adageonline.net/
Such a project is highly important nowadays, when truth is distorted, and lies are taking the lead, where Islam is constantly being attacked and prejudiced. The core aim of this project is to clear the misunderstandings about Islam, and to spread the fruits of Islamic knowledge to the world. While it can prove highly effective for scholars and Muslims, it can also be very useful to anyone seeking to know more about Islam from an authentic source. Nobody can better represent what Islam is really about more than the Prophet of Islam himself. This is a must-see website that is extending a hand with peace and a real desire for more understanding and tolerance. Please see for yourself:http://www.adageonline.net/
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
On nature and things!
When you watch a movie for the first time, you are naturally consumed in the story. But this one touched me like no other. The meanings in it were thought provoking and as I watched it for the second time a year later, I was wrapped in those inspiring thoughts rather than what was taking place. Cast Away is the well known movie of a sole survivor from a plane crash who ended up on a distant island and had to endure the elements and simply stay alive. To us, the privileged ones who live in cities, with on-call electricity, running water and endless high-tech gismos, that would be hell on earth. I remember that when my sister once went to a safari in Africa and told me about the living conditions she would go through there, I told her right then and there that that would be my worst nightmare. Or is it? Well, this is not what this summer taught me. But I will come to that later.
Back to the movie cause it was a wake-up call for all the things that we take for granted. You need only to watch how long it took and agonizing it was to light a single fire, to realize what that means to a man in that situation. You are actually taken aback by his roaring and wild dancing around the bonfire he kept hailing! It is like he was stripped bare from all the layers that living in a society puts on us and became free and simply human. It is that spark of humanity that made him long for companionship to the point that he took a volleyball, that landed among the boxes with him, as a friend and named it “Wilson” after drawing its features with his own blood. He would talk to that ball rain or shine and have it go through it all with him. He even mourned when he lost it in his attempt to escape the island and sobbing aloud and ended up letting go of the paddles since losing “Wilson” could to many of us mean losing it all! Yes, it is those “Wilsons” in our lives, or our loved ones if you wish, that help us identify who we are and with whom happiness and sharing gain a new meaning every time. Yet, it is a Higher Sublime Mercy that picks us up when we fall and lends us a hand to stand on our feet again just like our hero was saved right after losing Wilson!
Having him rescued could have been a good end to that story. But, no. It is the sharp contrast that shocks you between what used to be his ordinary life in the city and that on the island. The man now in a cold dark blue navy shirt and a dull brown jacket, surrounded by grey walls, not talking much and walking slowly trying to take in that new ambience, was the very same man alive and vibrant on that island. Barely covered in rags, with tanned limbs and sun-damaged face, with long messy hair and beard, hunting with accuracy and eating raw fish! Now in the city, no one even noticed the lighter that would create the fire he almost died for. Loads of food lay there on the table in front of him. A fuzz of noise and people surrounded him. A soft cozy bed was waiting for him that he neglected and slept on the floor instead. How many blessings do we bask in day in and out and never even pay attention to!
I am amazed how this summer has changed me. When I watched that movie the first time, I did with agony for the hero’s ordeal. It is remarkable how I now consider the time on that island as the real pleasure. Imagine sleeping with stars as your company and the ocean humming its soothing lullaby. Imagine the endless turquoise water, the luscious trees and the cuddling sand. Nature was created to amply provide for and take care of us. It is not to be feared at all if you take the time to listen to it and get rid of the limiting mind frames of the city’s abundant restrictions. I left work and worries behind in my trip to the mountains this summer. I blocked out annoying inside and outside voices and surrendered to that new world. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool fresh mountain air. Every whiff early in the morning filled me with joy and pure pleasure. I basked my bare face in the warm sun and got my arms out of the car’s window welcoming that beauty. The wind that sneaked into my long sleeves thrilled me. I let my imagination loose contemplating the shapes on the tops of the rocky mountains and the faces my mind’s eye saw there were watching me go by and kept smiling back at me. And on and on came the images. The violent rush of water in the falls. The soft mist that stood there right above it. The canyon walls that could never be solid enough to stop each drop of water from carving its own story as it went down the falls. The wild animals that crossed the streets in a mellow manner and ate wild berries paying no attention to the human beings standing in awe and taking pictures of their magnificence. The placid lake embraced by a guarding mountain in the background and adored by its surroundings. The cold water in the stream that called me to step on its rocks and hail the splashes that came my way. I collected little colorful rocks in all shapes just like little kids do. I sat on the shore of the lakes enveloped in the tranquility and in harmony with my atmosphere that I wanted nothing else but to remain there for the rest of my life. It was my very first time to actually welcome the outdoors and discover that side in me; the free spirit and spontaneous demeanor.
Back to the movie cause it was a wake-up call for all the things that we take for granted. You need only to watch how long it took and agonizing it was to light a single fire, to realize what that means to a man in that situation. You are actually taken aback by his roaring and wild dancing around the bonfire he kept hailing! It is like he was stripped bare from all the layers that living in a society puts on us and became free and simply human. It is that spark of humanity that made him long for companionship to the point that he took a volleyball, that landed among the boxes with him, as a friend and named it “Wilson” after drawing its features with his own blood. He would talk to that ball rain or shine and have it go through it all with him. He even mourned when he lost it in his attempt to escape the island and sobbing aloud and ended up letting go of the paddles since losing “Wilson” could to many of us mean losing it all! Yes, it is those “Wilsons” in our lives, or our loved ones if you wish, that help us identify who we are and with whom happiness and sharing gain a new meaning every time. Yet, it is a Higher Sublime Mercy that picks us up when we fall and lends us a hand to stand on our feet again just like our hero was saved right after losing Wilson!
Having him rescued could have been a good end to that story. But, no. It is the sharp contrast that shocks you between what used to be his ordinary life in the city and that on the island. The man now in a cold dark blue navy shirt and a dull brown jacket, surrounded by grey walls, not talking much and walking slowly trying to take in that new ambience, was the very same man alive and vibrant on that island. Barely covered in rags, with tanned limbs and sun-damaged face, with long messy hair and beard, hunting with accuracy and eating raw fish! Now in the city, no one even noticed the lighter that would create the fire he almost died for. Loads of food lay there on the table in front of him. A fuzz of noise and people surrounded him. A soft cozy bed was waiting for him that he neglected and slept on the floor instead. How many blessings do we bask in day in and out and never even pay attention to!
I am amazed how this summer has changed me. When I watched that movie the first time, I did with agony for the hero’s ordeal. It is remarkable how I now consider the time on that island as the real pleasure. Imagine sleeping with stars as your company and the ocean humming its soothing lullaby. Imagine the endless turquoise water, the luscious trees and the cuddling sand. Nature was created to amply provide for and take care of us. It is not to be feared at all if you take the time to listen to it and get rid of the limiting mind frames of the city’s abundant restrictions. I left work and worries behind in my trip to the mountains this summer. I blocked out annoying inside and outside voices and surrendered to that new world. I closed my eyes and breathed in the cool fresh mountain air. Every whiff early in the morning filled me with joy and pure pleasure. I basked my bare face in the warm sun and got my arms out of the car’s window welcoming that beauty. The wind that sneaked into my long sleeves thrilled me. I let my imagination loose contemplating the shapes on the tops of the rocky mountains and the faces my mind’s eye saw there were watching me go by and kept smiling back at me. And on and on came the images. The violent rush of water in the falls. The soft mist that stood there right above it. The canyon walls that could never be solid enough to stop each drop of water from carving its own story as it went down the falls. The wild animals that crossed the streets in a mellow manner and ate wild berries paying no attention to the human beings standing in awe and taking pictures of their magnificence. The placid lake embraced by a guarding mountain in the background and adored by its surroundings. The cold water in the stream that called me to step on its rocks and hail the splashes that came my way. I collected little colorful rocks in all shapes just like little kids do. I sat on the shore of the lakes enveloped in the tranquility and in harmony with my atmosphere that I wanted nothing else but to remain there for the rest of my life. It was my very first time to actually welcome the outdoors and discover that side in me; the free spirit and spontaneous demeanor.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Behind every face!
A touching video sent to me by a sweet, sweet soul.
Oh how we never see beyond our own concerns and what a blessing it would be to unravel the stories behind every face. Oh how lonely and confined we are in our own worlds and how warm human gestures relieve so many pains. It is simply what being human is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE
Watch it and let the tears flow.
Oh how we never see beyond our own concerns and what a blessing it would be to unravel the stories behind every face. Oh how lonely and confined we are in our own worlds and how warm human gestures relieve so many pains. It is simply what being human is all about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfeXxkbgCVE
Watch it and let the tears flow.
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