I can't but I will!

This weekend past, my girls and I went along to the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair. I came away from it feeling inept, incapable and acutely aware of what I cannot do.

I can't tat
I can't knit
I can't crochet
I can't sew
I can't embroider
I can't quilt
I can't bead
I can't paint
I can't really draw
I'm not even all that good at scrapbooking.

On the plus side, I also came away very very inspired. Consequently, I have since signed up to crochet classes, a painting workshop and I'm even contemplating sewing classes for next term.

Now to find the time to do all that.

Its really hard to write when the house is abuzz with busy children (which it often is) but I needed to get this down before it escaped into the stratosphere as most of my thoughts often do before making it to record.

What I want to say is this. It is most liberating to do things with no want or anticipation or expectation of acknowledgement or praise or reward. It actually is liberating.

That is all.

Remember.

Faith isn't turning towards east nor west. Faith is believing in God, the Last Day, the Angels, the Scriptures, and the Prophets. Faith is conquering your greed and giving generously to relatives, orphans, travellers, and those in need. It's freeing slaves, establishing prayers, giving in charity, fulfilling your promises, and being patient in danger, hardship and adversity. Such people affirm the truth and are truly pious.
                                                                                                         - Quran 2: 177

Advice to my children...

Dear children,

Not everyone in this world is going to like you. In fact some people will vehemently dislike you, sometimes for no apparent reason and with no explanation. Others may dislike you because they disagree with your opinions or have starkly divergent worldviews, or simply because they find your laugh to be the most annoying sound in the world. Or it could be that you were more successful than them in some way or another, or you stood up for yourself when they thought you'd been crushed into compliance.

Whatever the case may be, you need to know that the world is not a perfect place and there are plenty of mean/unfair/unjust/cruel/nasty people in it. Its just the way it is, I'm afraid.

The important thing is, you don't let this affect who you are. You should still be kind to everyone, even those who are less than kind to you. Be fair and just in your dealings with everyone, even when they have tried to cheat you. Do not let envy into your heart, even for a moment, because it will consume you, casting its shadow on your soul. When someone hurts you, forgive them, pray for them,  but keep your distance from them, not out of hate or resentment, but to protect yourself from further hurt. Always stand firm against their attempts of oppression, have the courage of your convictions, and fervently seek to expose the truth.

If you feel that someone is bullying you, stifling you, coercing you to change the things you hold dear, hold up a mirror so that they might see the ugliness of their behaviour. Never respond with anything less than goodness. But if they refuse to see the error of their way, then tell someone, find support. Then leave.  Leave and don't look back. Leave and ask God to give you the strength to grow from that trial, to keep your heart soft, and to protect you from their grasp.

Do not allow these things to affect the lens with which you view the world. For every mean man, there are many kind men. For every unfair or unjust man, there are many many men who uphold and promote fairness and have made it their life's work to fight for justice. For every cruel and nasty man, there are countless good, gentle men. Those whose spirits align with the fitra in which they were summoned to this earthly world. Take comfort in that.

Take comfort and never stop hoping.

Love,
Mum.

Fast and you will find.

Fasting, when you don't need to, just for God's sake, is... truly uplifting... it eases any burdens you may have.. lightens the chest.. and transports the mind to a calmer,  spiritual realm.

It is purifying. humbling. grounding. mellowing.

Its almost like a detox for the soul, only better.

I advise you all to try it.
  .

Give a child a future

There are some things all good, sane people agree on: ALL children should be protected and afforded basic human rights. Irrespective of your religious, ideological or political views, there seems to be at least consensus about that, if nothing else.

I know that Islam certainly holds the care of a child and especially that of an orphan as a high-ranking priority and one that will be rewarded most abundantly. It is mentioned in the Quran and Hadith countless times and there are many accounts of esteemed Muslims who have made great endeavours in this regard, both past and present.

So given that we have this consensus and we all agree that there is great satisfaction and possible reward in it, why are there still so many children that are unprotected? Why are there so many who are starving and homeless with no access to education? Why are there still children who are forced to work in barbaric conditions with no prospect of any change?

The answer has to surely be that we as able people do not afford such issues enough importance. We are able to push those concerns aside, assigning them to the 'too-hard-basket' and just busy ourselves with the here and now. Or we assume that it will cost too much to make any meaningful change.

Well, I will let you in on a little secret. It actually doesn't cost that much at all. And will cost even less if every person accepted some responsibility for these forgotten innocents. Even a small donation can be the difference between life and death for a child in a developing or war-torn country.

So, how about it? Why don't you make a difference to the life of a child today? A simple google search will give you myriad of pathways to choose from. But I'm going to put in a plug for one particular pathway that I truly value, one which I have seen the fruits of in a very moving presentation some time ago now.

Mahboba's Promise it is called. It is a wonderful Australian non-profit voluntary organisation dedicated to the women and children of Afghanistan. It is all about improving the lives of these vulnerable people and equipping them with the skills and resources necessary for them to rebuild their lives. And you can even sponsor an orphan, ensuring they are fed, clothed, sheltered, educated and receive the medical care they need. 

Go on then...

A distraction by any other name...

I know I've said this before, probably on more than one occasion, but I don't think it can be overstated. In fact I think a daily reminder about this would not go astray.

So what am I harping on about you ask?  Distractions. The sheer abundance of them, their dark, insidious nature and their detrimental and often dire consequences to one's spiritual and emotional wellbeing.

And whilst I'm no more immune to them than the next person, I guess I am fortunate enough to recognise them for what they really are: I have pulled away the proverbial wool from my eyes and in doing so I have caught these artful prancers in their underwear, fully exposing their true nature. The most lucrative industries are built solely upon them and on the certainty that we will happily and obliviously consume/by into them.

Try this: think about all the things you have done today that were really necessary. Think about the things you have done that have actually made a difference either in your life or in the life of someone else. Think about the things that have benefited your mind, developed and nurtured you in some meaningful way.

Now think about all the things you have done that have been quite redundant or unnecessary. Things that have not added anything to your life or the life of someone else. Think about the things you have watched, heard, done, consumed, that have not benefited your mind or developed or nurtured you in any meaningful way.

Chances are, the second list will outweigh the first. Whether it be breakfast radio, window shopping or listening to the top 40 countdown, you won't have really gained very much but you will have lost a lot of precious irretrievable time that could have been better spent bettering your life or the life of someone else.

And it never ceases to amaze me just how over-saturated the distractions market has become. It is almost impossible to avoid it no matter how hard we try. It feeds on our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and grows from our inability to resist the temptation of the easy way. Because, let's face it, it is easier to veg out in front of a TV screen than it is to read a book about God. Its more fun listening to music than it is to be volunteering at a homeless shelter. And Lord knows its far less stressful having the children play computer games than it is to teach them good manners.

So you'll forgive me when I admit that I am guilty of falling into the traps of distractions. But I do resent them and curse their very existence almost daily. I do actively try to limit my consumption but its doubly hard to limit that of my children, especially as they get older and are increasingly influenced by their peers and the external environment.

Nevertheless, I will continue my plight. And pray that this little post will have somehow helped illuminate someone else's perceptions on the matter.

Wisdom from a page...

"...when each day is the same as the next, its because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises".

From Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist.