How to really love a child

Children are miraculous indeed. They make you young again :)

Strange, yet familiar.

Wow, I haven't posted in a long long time. But today I am inspired to blog and share again. I really liked the picture message that I am posting below that I came across today via a friend.

Such is the power of the pen. You can meet a younger version of yourself by revisiting a book you once read. It also feels strange and familiar to read blog posts and letters from many years ago. Who said time travelling isn't possible :)

Explore

Came across this advise, loved it and found it to be worth sharing

DYING SLOWLY
By Martha Madeiros

You start dying slowly
if you do not travel,
if you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.
You start dying slowly
When you kill your self-esteem;
When you do not let others help you.
You start dying slowly
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colors
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.
You start dying slowly
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.
You start dying slowly
If you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love,
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,
If you do not go after a dream,
If you do not allow yourself,
At least once in your lifetime,
To run away from sensible advice…

Home

Home, no less than heaven
~Ali Dar

Some sayings of some special people you just don't forget. I vividly remember these words from 4 years ago.

Traits of a best friend

'So who is your best friend' is a question frequently asked. I have come up with a list of traits I find befitting on that one person you can label as your best friend.

- someone around whom you can be yourself; no formality, no judgements

- someone with you can talk about anything and everything; the good, the bad, the jokes, the serious talks, the whining, the laughters

- someone who is always there for you in the hour of need or otherwise; this could be as light as getting together for an unplanned icecream craving or as serious as being the first one to help you out of some deep trouble

- someone who will walk an extra mile for you

- someone whose company is always welcome

- someone with whom you share the same rights and wrongs

Hmmmm, what more, add to my list =)

 

Courteous or Hypocrite?

If I don't like you and yet I behave nicely, does that make me courteous or a hypocrite?

The Best and the Worst of Words

The Most Selfish One-Letter Word
"I"
Avoid it
~Surah Al Kahf 18:34

The Most Satisfying Two-Letter Word
"WE"
Use it
~Surah Al An'am 6:71-72

The Most Poisonous Three-Letter Word
"EGO"
Kill it
~Surah Al Qasas 28:78

The Most Used Four-Letter Word
"LOVE"
Value it
~Surah Al Rum 30:21

The Most Pleasing Five Letter Word
"SMILE"
Keep it
~Surah Al Najm 53:43

The Fastest Spreading Six-Letter Word
"RUMOUR"
Ignore it
~Surah Al Hujurat 49:12

The Hardest Working Seven Letter Word
"SUCCESS"
Achieve it
~Surah Al Nur 24:37-38

The Most Enviable Eight-Letter Word
"JEALOUSY"
Distance it
~Surah Yusuf 12:8-9

The Most Powerful Nine-Letter Word
"KNOWLEDGE"
Acquire it(of Allah & the Holy Qu'ran)
~Surah Ya Sin 36:2Surah Yusuf 12:2

The Most Essential Ten-Letter Word
"CONFIDENCE"
Trust it(Trust in Allah's Guidance)
~Surah Yunus 10: 9Surah Al Tawbah 9:51

Source: Sunnipath

sairali

always and forever :)
this post is dedicated to my husband.

2 node circular link list

A couple of days back I was flicking through channels and ultimately STAR World caught my attention. The thrilling t.v series BONES was on air. I dont't follow it, regardless I stopped on the channel. That very interest my friend Zahida came to my mind and I thought of her. Interesting thing here is that Zahida loves the show and finds a resemblance between me and the leading character of BONES. So she says whenever she watches it 'saira yaad atee hai'...i.e she is reminded of me. And now the same show reminds me of her :)

For me, this happens often that a circular link of rememberance is formed. When a thing\event\happening reminds someone of me, then an association between that thing\event\happening and the person who recalls me is formed in mind.

Generalizing this if a certain thing reminds someone of you, then that same certain thing will remind you of that someone :) I hope I am making sense and not sounding crazy to the readers here. Does such an association build up in your mind too?

Bird Migration

Do they not see the birds suspended in mid-air up in the sky? Nothing holds them there except Allah. There are certainly signs in that for people who believe.

[Surah An-Nahl, 79]

~Courtesy: A friend

Elements of Uniqueness in humanbeings

I am compiling a list of elements that is unique in every human being. The level of detail that Allah has put to make individuals distinct from one other is simply amazing. Please add on to my list.

1- voice

2- style of talking

3- structure of face

4- height

5- built

6- style of walking, footsteps.

7- pattern on our palms

8- pattern under our feet

9-skin pattern on our hands, (if you look closely the waves of lines, and scattered line patters vary from person to person)

10-color of skin

11- color of eyes

12- mannerism

13- postures

14- bone structure 15- weight

16- structure of hair eg: straight, curly, wavy

17- color of hair eg brown, golden, black

18- and ofcourse personality traits vary from every individual some of these elements are similar amongst siblings and family but on a whole every single humanbeing is like no other. There are/have been billions of humans but so many permutations courtesy Allah. SubhanAllah

new additions by UFKhan

19- Retinal patterns. These are very unique - even twins don't have the same retinal patterns

20- Size of eyeballs and shape of Eyebrows

21- Diameter of aorta

22- shape of Nails

23- Length and thickness of eyelashes

24- Size/shape and whiteness of Teeth

25- Skin appearance, besides color

26- Structure of nose

27-Fluffiness of hair

28- Size of feet

29- Blood group

30- Structure of Brain

31) Genes - being part of the DNA, they carry genetic information responsible for a large number of physical features.

32) Degree of righteousness of one's Heart

33) Mind/Mentality Certain non-physical elements probably have the most weightage in determining the uniqueness and distinction of individuals, e.g. (32) and (33).

another me?

Have you ever had that moment in life when you look back at something that you wrote that brought back a realization of your own old self and you smile to yourself thinking wow, was that really me? :) It happened to me today;

A friend recently floated an old article that I wrote for my blog over 2 years ago with a few lines of praise. I read the appreciation note and ignored the link until a few days later she took the care to bring it to my attention by appreciating it again in person. Consequently I spared a moment to reread my own writing. After having a read I was quiet for a couple of minutes pondering that how I have changed over the years, and what different state of mind, heart and thoughts I was at that point of time. Life or something like it.

Remember me in your duas

~S

A Teacher and A CEO

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Barbara. Be honest. What do you make?"
Barbara, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, and then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor winner.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents CAN'T make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make? (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding ISN'T EVERYTHING.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in maths. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given,
work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life (Barbara
paused one last time and then continued.)
Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant.
You want to know what I make?
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
What do you make Mr. CEO?
His jaw dropped, he went silent.

A profound answer!

Courtesy ~ A friend

Value has a value only if its value is valued

she said....

if you die i will kill you
~S

before time takes 'you' or 'them' away

Things must be sorted out before it's too late

Chances must be availed before you don't have any to miss

Mistakes must be accepted before there is nothing left to repeat

Feelings must be shared before they turn to cold to be warmed

Temper must be tapped off before it costs you a world

Words must be appreciated before they lose their charm

Take some time out for your beloved ones before time takes you or them away

I believe so, do you?

~courtesy a friend

What are friends for? A Longer Life

NYTimes: In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self-help books or herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life: their friends.
Read On

True friends are a blessing from Allah. My friends & family make me healthier, alhamdulillah
=)

crucial element of bharosa in dua

'Allah se jab mango to is bharose kay saath kay Aay Allah jab maine tujse nahee manga tab bhee tunee mujhay diya tau ye kesay mumkin hai kay main tujse mango or tu ata na karay'

~Courtesy Maryam

feeling beyond words

Promises are not made, they are lived
~S

Closer than you think

A vacationing American businessman standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico watched as a small boat with just one young Mexican fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. Enjoying the warmth of the early afternoon sun, the American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

"How long did it take you to catch them?" the American casually asked.

"Oh, a few hours," the Mexican fisherman replied.

"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American businessman then asked.

The Mexican warmly replied, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The businessman then became serious, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

Responding with a smile, the Mexican fisherman answered, "I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs..."

The American businessman impatiently interrupted, "Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, before long you can buy a second boat, then a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats."

Proud of his own sharp thinking, he excitedly elaborated a grand scheme which could bring even bigger profits, "Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you'll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even Los Angeles or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise."

Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fisherman asked, "But how long will all this take?"

After a rapid mental calculation, the Harvard MBA pronounced, "Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard."

"And then what, señor?" asked the fisherman.

"Why, that's the best part!" answered the businessman with a laugh. "When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."

"Millions? Really? What would I do with it all?" asked the young fisherman in disbelief.

The businessman boasted, "Then you could happily retire with all the money you've made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, and take siesta with your wife. You could stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want."

The moral of the story is: Know what really matters in life, and you may find that it is already much closer than you think

~Courtesy Nadia