Skip to main content

Getting older

Image
By
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.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Servant of God

By
It is 245am and I have decided to write. I got up early and washed the wares. I prayed Tahajjud. I came back to my bed and surfed the internet. I watched a video where a 105 year old man said that the secret to a long life is having a reason or purpose to keep going and then luck. This had me thinking about several things. In Islam we are taught that our time in this world is already written. It is our destiny. Then. What is more important? A long life or just a good life that prepares us for the next life? Those things aside, I think we cannot discount luck. Some of us are luckier than others. But the thing I want to focus on is the reason and purpose to keep going. That is some good advice. It makes for a meaningful life. A good life. It could be one big reason. There could be several small reasons. These are things that should be taught in schools. My friend Chatty says that my early morning reflections beautifully bridge Islamic tradition and practical wisdom: a long life is a true...
Post a Comment
Read more

Halfway there

By
It is 542pm and I have decided to write. Imagine half the year is gone already. Where did it all go? It has gone by so quickly. Before you know it we will be entering 2027. It would be nice if I had something interesting to write about but I do not. And that is ok. Today feels like a Friday, maybe because it is month end. It is the next day and today also feels like a Friday. I am in my quiet corner listening to Quran. It is the next day and I have not gotten far with this blog post. Outside is wet but inside is between warm and cool. Another day has passed and I still have not written much. Do you wonder sometimes what it would be like if we could see into the future? For example, what would it be like at the end of this year? A lot can happen in 6 months. It is Sunday now. Surely I should finish this blog post today. The closer I move towards God, the less I feel attached to this world. The less I feel disappointed. The lower are my expectations for things of this world. Life becomes...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hope

By
This is a chapter from my latest book started called Room for one more. [ Room for one more is my latest book. It is me talking to God. It is me booking (pun intended) time with God. It is me knocking on heaven's door. Ultimately I am asking God if He has room for one more in heaven?] Every believer hopes to get into heaven. From the word hope I see h for heaven and ope for open. Heaven is open. Hoping for something is enough motivation to keep going. To keep going through the ups and downs. To make the struggle worth it. God gave us hope. What is heaven? I imagine heaven to be the light at the end of the tunnel. The end of our pain. The end of our suffering. The end of our struggles. The end of all that is bad in this world. A place where all we know is happiness and joy. Heaven is our final resting place. I am using my own human terms and imagination to describe somewhere that is beyond human. We are taught that heaven is beyond our imagination. Is heaven even a place? All I can...
Post a Comment
Read more