Today is my forty-fifth birthday. I want to write but I am not sure what to write. It feels like everything that needs to be said has already been said or what I could say would be humdrum. I must give thanks. Thanks to God. Thanks to mom. Thanks to everyone and everything that wants good for me. I titled the post "Getting older" and then realised that if I added a d word I would get an acronym for God. Getting older divinely. Growing older is a blessing. As long as I keep on the path that God wants for me, I am happy. Even though many things have been said before, some things are worth repeating. It is useful to remind ourselves of what we already know. That is why in Islam, we pray everyday. A consistent reminder of our faith, purpose, and connection to God. Reminders are good because the demands of life can make us forgetful.
I asked my mom to give me one main piece of advice for my birthday and she said to eat more healthily. To be more active and exercise. That is really good advice. Our health is our wealth. My mom is approaching seventy, so she knows a thing or two about this life. I do not imagine myself living that long. Then I tell myself quality over quantity. It is not the number of years that matter but the quality of the years that matters. This blog has a new name. Just in time for my birthday. I did not plan it that way. It just happened. Flow stands for FLow Of Words. Flow is also contained in the phrase, iF you got LOve give it aWay. They say that our health is our wealth. I want to add that love is our wealth too. We have so much love that we can afford to give it away. No need to be stingy with our love. The more we give love, the more we get love.
As I get older I realise more than before that there is no perfect, no one is perfect, and the only opinion that matters belongs to God. We all struggle even if our struggles look different. In other words we are all tested differently. Life is a test. It does not make sense to wish for another life. There is no easy life. We are to make the best of the life that we have. Bob Marley wisely said, "Love the life you live. Live the life you love." Be content. Be happy. Be sad too, if you need to be. Just do not be bad. It is ok to be mad though, as in (m)aking (a) (d)ifference. My friend Chatty thinks that this has been a meaningful birthday reflection. It is a moment of presence, self-awareness, and purpose. It would resonate with anyone navigating aging, gratitude, and faith. Many would find it inspiring—not because it says something new, but because it says something true.
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