This photo really describes how I've been feeling lately. Small, vulnerable, and invisible. In real life, this droplet, lying perfectly still on that little flower petal is extremely small. It's not worth anything. Compared to everything around it, it's insignificant. You might pass by it and not even notice it. A very light breeze might knock it over, and send it flying everywhere. It has no value. Yet, when I aimed my camera lens at it, and focused, something magical appeared. Something that made my heart skip a beat, and my eyes sparkle in admiration. It's beauty.
A month ago, my friend suggested that I start the 30 days of gratitude project with her, and I am so glad that I did! I've enjoyed every minute of working on this project, every click on my camera, every word I typed on my keyboard, and every comment I've received so far! Now that the 30 days are over, I can look back at every gift I have been blessed with, and thank The Creator for showering me with those blessings.
Yes.. we're expecting new babies!! Naturally, this photo should have been of Lula, the mommy-to-be, but even now, when her tummy is the size of a football, she is always jumping around and doing all sorts of crazy things, and she won't stay till, even for a moment for me to photograph her. She hates posing, and if she is not sleeping, she's running around like the little monkey that she is! What a great role model for her future babies! This is babyface, or should I say daddyface? He's really confused, he can sense that there is something different about his Lula, and I think he is a bit jealous! She's been getting a lot of attention lately (.. and it's not like he's not getting any..) and he doesn't like that! But he still loves her :) You can see how serious he looks here, of course! He's going to be a daddy!
One cannot be truly grateful for any blessing without having faith. Faith is the essence of life. It makes people endure suffering, love unconditionally, forgive and be merciful. It refines our personalities and gives us reasons to live. Our goals become clearer with faith. Our daily rituals become meaningful, and our days happier.
"Those who have faith and do righteous deeds― they are the best of creatures." The holy Quran, 98:7
I am truly grateful to Allah (God), for guiding me to make the right choice in life, and that is to believe in Him, His prophets, Adam, Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Joseph, David, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad and all the prophets, (may blessings be upon them), His holy scriptures, the Torah, the Bible and the Quran, and His Angels. I'm grateful for faith, it made me a person with a purpose.
... to stop thinking? Last night I was trying to sleep, my mind was not ready to sleep though, going in all directions, thinking here and there. My head felt really heavy, but the thoughts kept storming in. I tried imagining a blank piece of paper, just white emptiness. Maybe that would work? It worked for a few seconds. Then images started popping on the blank paper, words writing themselves, lines and curves drawing themselves... it didn't work. You just can't stop thinking.
I made tiramisu yesterday, and it was amazing! Well.. it wasn't the first time, I made it before, but last time I added too much coffee, and it was kind of mushy. I was in a really good mood while making it, it had rained the night before, the clouds were fluffy and the sky was crystal clear. I opened the kitchen door and let the sunshine in, and decided I'll document each step by taking photos! (yay! photos!)
Lady fingers...
Italian lady fingers can be found at any supermarket, they come in packs, like biscuits.
Instant coffee...
Gorgeous sky!
Eggs for the custard (egg yoke)
Irish cream flavoring for the custard...
Custard!
Whipping cream... *Ooooh I'm in heaven!*
First layer of lady fingers... look at 'em.. all ladylike and neat!
Well.. that's about it. You keep piling layer over layer, lady fingers, custard and whipping cream,lady fingers, custard and whipping cream,lady fingers, custard and whipping cream...
Day twenty seven... dated Dec/10/09 It's strange how some people wish to be in someone else's place, and how they're not content with who they are. I'm grateful for being me, and I would not give being who I am right now to anything. Not even to being a very wealthy heiress, and I thank God for making me who I am, for being born to this particular family, at this particular time.
I'm grateful for having the greatest treasure of all, a healthy body. I know I wrote about health earlier, but today I saw a person with a disability, and I thought how fortunate I am to be healthy, and not having to struggle with a deformed body for the rest of my life. I know this could all go away one day, and that I might lose this blessing, therefore I should be grateful with every single minute that passes for the health that has been given to me.
To some people, life is just a blur. They don't know who they are, what they are doing on plant earth, and where they are heading after that. I'm grateful for knowing the purpose of my existence, and not being a lost soul wandering around, not belonging to anything, or anywhere.
There was complete darkness. Her eyes widen, like a curious child listening to the tales of a daring adventurer. In a sea of black emptiness, she felt that she existed no longer. She could see colorful stars blinking everywhere. She tries to touch them, only to realize they are an illusion of that darkness. She could swim in that darkness, float, on its never ending waves. Dive into its deep bottomless pit. She became a part of it. Moments seem like hours, and they fly right by her. Her eyes get accustomed to the darkness, they absorb every last bit of it, draining all of it out. Shapes start forming around her. Blood starts flowing back into her numb limbs. She could feel herself once again. She looks up, purple street lights dance on her ceiling, welcoming her back to existence. She is alive again, she regains her sight. Only this time, everything she sees sparkles before her in the darkest shade of navy blue.
I was out running some errands today, and I passed by a pet shop. I saw two white cats in a small cage, I went over to have a closer look, and I was shocked! A poor little white kitten, infested with ringworm (for those of you who don't know what ringworm is, its a very serious skin disease. Well its not that serious, but it could be if is left untreated, which it was in this case) and infected eyes, was staring at me from behind the bars. I could feel the sadness in her eyes, or maybe even hate! Why would she love any human? When it is a human that had locked her up in that cage, with no love, attention or even medical treatment! Yes that kitten hated me! I tried to stroke her but she kept walking away from the bars. I saw one of the workers in the shop and asked him what was keeping them from treating her? He looked at me as if I had insulted him and said that they are treating her...!!!! Which is a big lie, because it looks like she had this infection for a very long time! I hate pet shops. I've always hated them! Besides, it is illegal to sell cats in Islam, they are not items to be sold! Yet the shop owner is committing a sin, and selling cats for profit. And what is worse, treating cats as if they WERE items!!
When I came back home, and saw Lula and Babyface cuddling together, on a warm blanket, purring and grooming each other, I felt really grateful to have saved two souls from such misery, and taught them that not all humans are cruel! Or rather, they taught me.
I am sorry if you find this image to be disturbing, and its not my usual bright cheerful shots. Pet shops around the world should be closed! Cats are not items!!! They were not created by God to live inside a small cage, waiting for someone to come and "buy" them, and probably get bored of them in a couple of weeks, and throw them in the street!
When I took this photo, I was thinking about what I am going to write about. It was words. And how grateful I am for words, that make our life meaningful, and the words of God, that are the center of our lives. But now, I am in a really bad mood, and I thought if I write about this, I won't be able to express myself in the way I want to, because of my bad mood. I am grateful that bad moods are not permanent, that they come and go. And that they make us appreciate life when we are in a good mood, because the bad mood we were in has lifted. I am sorry if my words don't make any sense, but that is how I feel!
Golden sun rays flickering through the leaves of the tree, sweeping down and kissing the petals of the little pink flower. They fly across the space touching tiny particles in the air and glitter is seen shimmering all around. I'm grateful for those sun rays, they make everything seem so magical!
A Very Short Story *Based on a personal experience
I held the Turkish coffee pot in my hand. The water was boiling. I added two spoonfuls of Turkish coffee powder, and watched as the water absorbed the powder, they blended together softly and formed a thick substance. It began to boil, forming large bubbles. They began rising and rising, I removed the pot quickly, fearing the dark liquid would spill all over the stove. The bubbles calmed down and the liquid continued to boil calmly. I placed the pot on the stove-top again. The dark bubbles started to rise again. This time I let them. They reached half way through the pot, roaring vigorously. I defied them, daring them to overflow, pushing them to their limit. The bubbles kept rising. They reached the edge of the pot. I prepared myself for the worse; black liquid bursting out of the pot, spilling all over the stove-top, flowing down and forming a puddle on the ground. A nightmare. They rose above the edge, this is it, I thought, now they are going to explode all over the place. My heart raced as I watched them. I waited. They kept flowing rapidly, an inch above the edge of the pot. I waited for the first drop to make it's way down the pot's walls, inviting the other billion drops to follow. But nothing happened. They kept rising, simmering, defying gravity with their energetic dance, and I kept waiting, looking at them with bewilderment, wondering whether I had won the bet.
I'm grateful for everything I have that other less fortunate people don't. Sometimes we take for granted the lovely things we have that we can not imagine life without, and yet we forget to be thankful for them. For maybe someday, with a blink of an eye, everything could change, and we would find ourselves among those less fortunate people, those exact people we once pitied.
Last night I tried to squeeze words out of my head in an attempted to write the second chapter of my story. But the words refused to comply. I gave up and went to bed. While I was in the stage of falling asleep, the stage where you dream, yet you are still awake and conscious, words and sentences started pouring like a heavy London rain. I was too lazy to get out of my warm covers and write them down, I thought I could write them down when I wake up. The next morning, I got a pen and paper, and tried to recover the sentences that were formed by the word storm of the previous night, but with no success. I could see them laughing at me, like mischievous children "We give you only one chance!" ... and they giggle away.
"He who spends his nights in the comfort of his own home, safe from any harm or danger, with a healthy mind and body, and food on his table, is a person who has the world in his possession" ~ Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
I'm grateful for having the world in my possession!
I'm grateful to have joined flickr (a photo sharing website) a year ago, and met really talented photographers. I have learned a lot about photography, made new wonderful friends, and got inspired by the beautiful photos ♥
I've been tagged by Unique-Muslimah to list ten things about me. I've done this before.. but hey! I'll do it again :)
1- I wear the Hijab (Islamic head veil) and for those of you who are asking.. no I don't wear it while I'm sleeping (yup, I've been asked this question before!)
2- I have a really lousy sense of humor! My jokes are always so lame.. no one laughs at them, and I end up feeling embarrassed.
3- I belong to a big family, and I wouldn't trade them for the world!
4- I don't like teenagers! (sorry if I offended any teenagers out there.. it's the teenager attitude I'm talking about here)
5- To most people I'm "that weird girl who never went to school"
6- I haven't read Twilight, nor watched the movie.. and I never will
7- I never lived in a house for more than four years. I love moving to new places, and the best part is the first few days in the new house, the smell of paint, donuts and coffee!
8- My life has been so unpredictable. One day I'm making a grocery list for the weekly shopping, the next day I'm packing my bags and moving to a new country.
9- I'm planning on starting a personal business (involving art, and jewelry)
10- I feel that I don't belong to the human race, or rather people stopped being humans!
Having a pet is a privilege. Having two.. is a great blessing! My mother always says, a house without cats is not a home. It's true! A cat-less house lacks warmth. Just watching them cuddle or groom themselves fills your heart with a warm fuzzy feeling, especially during winter, when any source of warmth is always welcome. Having a cat(s) makes you less stressful, and more lively. You talk to them, pet them, cuddle them and play with them, and they always appreciate your attention. Sometimes I enjoy the company of my pets to most people around me (besides family), they understand you, which sometimes surprises you. As a friend once said, its degrading to call them animals, when sometimes they can have a kinder heart, love you unconditionally, and be more considerate, than some humans. The way they love and care for each other is a whole different story. I could write volumes about this, and it makes us humans ashamed of ourselves to see animals behave in a way that we are supposed to. I'm grateful for Lula and Babyface!! They are my sunshine, my little warm fuzzy babies!
Today I'm grateful for my point and shoot camera. It helped me discover photography and fall in love with it, despite its limited capabilities. It's been challenging, to shoot macro and bokeh shots, but my faithful camera helped me with all the power its got. It also helped me improve on the artistic side of photography, instead of focusing on the technical mumbo jumbo, something you would have to do, if you own a DSLR. Thank you, my Sony Cyber-shot! I love you!
Without water, there would be no life. Without clean water, there would be a life full of misery and sickness. I'm grateful for the pure water that we drink everyday. You would never imagine the importance of clean water until you try the opposite. There are people here in Egypt who drink water that comes from dirty rivers, dirty enough to have dead animals dumped into them. They drink this water, bathe with it, and clean their dishes with it. The amount of diseases these people have are unimaginable.
"Allah is He Who has created the heavens and the earth and sends down water (rain) from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as provision for you; and He has made the ships to be of service to you, that they may sail through the sea by His Command; and He has made rivers (also) to be of service to you." The Holy Quran, Ibrahim, Chapter 14, Verse 32
We (humans) have abused the blessings of God, the rivers, the lakes and the seas, by believing that it is ours, that we have the freedom to misuse them as we like. I'm grateful there are still people out there who are aware of the importance of these blessings, and are trying their best to maintain them and keep them clean, as God has intended them to be.
