The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these, the spirit blooms timidly, and struggles to the light amid the thorns ~ George Santayana
My two favourite brands for muslimah clothing! What I like about the zawara brand is that it sells dresses and jubah at reasonable prices. I usually do not want to pay more than RM200 for a jubah and most online shops these days sells their stuff at crazy prices weihh apakah.
Benanghijau has always been a favourite for me, as I find wearing shawls too tedious and the basic scarves from benanghijau which I wear are also reasonably priced.
In this economy, as a consumer I am no longer after luxury. I am after value and quality. And these 2 are pretty high on the bar of both I have to say.
"I know you loved both he and I, the way a mother can love 2 sons. And no one should be judged for loving more than they ought, only for loving not enough..." ~ Catherynne M. Valente
In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Most Merciful.
Hello Airiel.
May you read this blog one day and see the posts I have written with your name. Posts I have written in the name of my love for you.
Today you turned 7.
Always, when you get a year older I get emotional. I am happy, I am sad, I brim with tears, I burst into pearls of laughter.
What a treat it was staying in a hotel room just you and me. We had our own beds, but at 2.00 am you groggily came and hopped into bed with me. And cuddled and hugged me. And kissed me on the cheek until you fell asleep again. I know it was 2.00 am and the bed was too small for 2 people but I just woke up and was so happy you did that and at the same time I just cried and cried and cried. I wondered to myself, how long is my son going to think I am his world? That I can make everything okay? That I am also to blame for everything? (haha, the irony right?).
I hope of all the things I have done wrong in my life, and in this world, I did right by you. I try to do that everyday. I constantly worry of whether I am being strict enough, or loving enough, or caring enough, or whether I am too busy, or whether I am not spending enough time with you.
When I try to remember how life was before you were born, I honestly can say I can't remember anything. That is how much you have changed my life, how monumental your presence have been. Everything else pales in comparison. Cliche, but true.
Its the way you look at me, its the way you cling to me. How long will this last? I don't know. Maybe until you get yourself a girlfriend or wife. Such is the cycle of life. But whatever time I have, however long it may be, I cherish it. Is that not what your brother Akif taught me? That life should be lived one day at a time. That we live on borrowed time. The time we have, you and I. I will always cherish.
Read this one day my little Airiel, and know that I love you very very much.
Be a good son to your father and I. Be a good servant to the Almighty. Be a good nephew to Bonda and Maksu. Be a good grandson to Nenda, Atok and Opah. Be a good human being to everyone you meet. Be kind. Be who you are meant to be, my son.
"So many versions of one memory, and yet none of them were right or wrong. Instead, they were all pieces. Only when fitted together, edge to edge, could they even begin to tell the whole story.." ~ Sarah Dessen
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Almighty.
This song is just such an emotional one. The struggle of children in broken families. As a single mother it gets to the heart. Airiel has a loving dad and for that I will always be thankful. For all other kids out there in single parent homes who are not so lucky, I feel for you. May all of you be strong...
And all I remember is your bag
Walking towards the airport leaving us all in your past
I traveled 15 hundred miles to see you
I begged to you to want me but you didn't want to
But piece by piece he collected me
Up off the ground where you abandoned things
Piece by piece he filled the holes
That you burned in me at 6 years old
He never walks away
He never asks for money
He takes care of me because he loves me
Piece by piece
He restored my faith
That a man can be kind
And a father could stay
And all of your words
They fall flat
I made something of myself and now you want to come back
But your love it isn't free
It has to be earned
Back then I didn't have anything you needed
So I was worthless
But piece by piece he collected me
Up off the ground where you abandoned things
Piece by piece he filled the holes
That you burned in me at 6 years old
He never walks away
He never asks for money
He takes care of me because he loves me
Piece by piece
He restored my faith
That a man can be kind
And a father could stay
Piece by piece
Piece by piece
I fell far from the tree
I will never leave her like you left me
She will never have to wonder her worth
Because unlike you
I'm going to put her first
He'll never walk away
He'll never break her heart
He'll take care of things
He loves her
Piece by piece
He restored my faith
That a man can be kind
And a father should be great
Piece by piece...
May Airiel grow up to be the best man he can be. Amin
"Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that generation. Let your greatness blossom..." ~ Nelson Mandela
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Beneficient
Hello readers.
It's Israel Apartheid Week. I am doing my bit for my angel Aisha. So I shall spread awareness on products that sources and helps Palestinian SME's.
First, I am going to take you to Canaan Fairtrade Palestine website.
The page provides information on what products are available directly sourced from Palestine and Palestinian farmers and SMEs.
It also provides information on what companies have been brave enough to partner with Palestinian SME's as source ingredients for their products.
Lastly, but also most importantly, it provides which shops carry products from Palestine SME's around the world.
Your next question would be of course, are there any companies in Malaysia brave enough to openly support and sell products from Palestine, right?
YES, there is. I list down these links for your benefit:-
Remember friends, other things that you can do are:-
1. Support the products that are supporting the Palestinian SMEs;
2. Do not buy products that contribute to apartheid [Go to buycott where you can scan barcodes to see how the products you are choosing fare on the international human rights scene]; and
3. Focus on helping our own local homegrown products in Malaysia. With the signing of TPPA, our local SMEs need our help more than ever. New restrictions and/or requirements and the future influx of our already foreign flooded market shelves will make them almost impossible to survive in time.
A lot of people say that one person will never make a difference. This is simply NOT true. I was ONE person who chose to sponsor angel Aisha's education and life in Gaza, and I made a difference in HER life until she was killed.
Can you imagine if 100 people sponsored a child? 100 children's lives will be different.
YOU can do this by making minor changes in eating and shopping and dressing habits .
Baby steps.
I have practised my BDS lifestyle since Aisha died in 2012.
