Sakeena

“Tranquility, devout. God-inspired peace of mind.”

It is obvious that at times, life will be difficult. And at times, our faith will be tested. At times we feel confused, abandoned, and lost. But we can always find some sakeena. Sometimes it’s my kids, sometimes my mom, sometimes my dad, sometimes my siblings, and a lot of the time it’s my husband.

“And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect.” (Qur’an 30:21)

my hubby doing cross-stitch with me, while I was in the hospital on bedrest

Roots

Did I mention that I was born in Trinidad? Yeah. But my ancestry is Indian, from like, India, although I really have no idea from what region. Now, it’s been more than 300 years since my Indian forefathers settled in Trinidad, so I think of myself only as Trini, but I mean, I am still ethnically Indian, right? Well, not according to some East Indians that I meet, who respond with “oh… so you are not a ‘real’ Indian!”

We'll have tacos & forget 'they'

When we have tacos, it’s usually fun for the kids, I think because of all the colorful toppings and the opportunity to make their own dinner! My friend Sabzari always loves this meal, and the idea of making veggies exciting!

Funny thing happened tonight, we had tacos for dinner, and my friend Sabzari and her family came to our house – for a dinner that we are in fact having NEXT Saturday! It was funny, and I did feel badly that they were inconvenienced by this mix-up, but I was happy to share the tacos!

Sabzari is a teacher, and I think teachers are absolutely amazing people, (most of them anyways) I mean, we struggle to manage the few kids that we have at home, and they are faced with far greater challenges everyday, and most are still able to perform with skill, patience, and justice.

I get some wonderful advice from her, which is sometimes referred to by me as sabzari says. I think what I love about her ideas and why I love discussing parenting tips with her is because she, like me, doesn’t really care what “they” say.

When I got pregnant with my first child, I, like most other first time moms, started reading everything I could find about pregnancy and babies, and, let’s not forget the weekly email updates about the growing fetus! And, like most other moms, I realized that the advice from one book to the next not only varied, but was often contradictory. So, ever since then I have taken a very hands-on approach to parenting, and I refuse to listen to ‘they’, unless ‘they’ have logical and scientific reasons to justify their advice.

I have challenged almost everything that my mom and grandmother tried to tell me about babies, because while there certainly is wisdom in it, and I do value their opinions, I need to know that I am doing something for the right reasons, and not just because it was passed down.

What's your intention, sir?

So, walking through the aisles at Costco, my husband decides that he is interested in a package of 4 box cutters, yes, FOUR. And I walked far away from him, because, a bearded man with a package of 4 box cutters, I mean, come on, that’s bound to trigger some kind of security alarm!

Love Thursday & the first time

Since I was 11 years old, my dad and I have not been living in the same country, and we manage to see each other only about 1 time per year, if we’re lucky.

The last time I saw him was almost 2 years ago.

Until last Sunday, when I welcomed him and his family into my home for a 2 week visit. It always feels the same, no matter how much time passes by… the love never diminishes, and still manages to grow.

For Love Thursday, the first time my dad held the baby.