Here is a secret; I keep a list of almost everything that could be listed. I keep lists of things that made me happy, things that would me happier, things I hate and things I love. I keep a list of people and their priorities. I subconsciously list everything. And sure I have had listed the blessings I could count before.
But upon Ibhog’s request, here I am sharing some of the blessings I could count because regardless how hard any of us could try, we can never count the blessings God granted us.
Here are the rules:
· The point is to say a heartfelt ‘Thank God’. So, you’ll have to choose power blessings, ones that really really are endowments, that you couldn’t possibly feel deeper gratitude towards God for. Ones that you feel grateful for, everyday.
· After each blessing, you’ll have to choose one word to describe your state. Examples: “Happy”, “Excited”, “Thankful”, “Humble”. Or, you have to choose any word that comes to your mind after it anyway – one that’ll summarize it all.
· The ones you’d choose are preferred to be special to you, for instance, we all know that ‘Eye Sight’ is an immense blessing, and of course we can list it, but preferably if it has a special meaning to us.
· The number of your blessings should be between 5 and 10.
· After finishing your list, you should write the word: “El7amodellah” in bold, and say it out loud.
· You should tag as many friends as you can – even the ones who don’t blog, inform them that they must comment.
· After that, well, all you do is to be happy and to have ‘Reda’
و إن تعدوا نعمة الله لا تحصوها
And here is my list:
1- I am grateful for having my father, sister and brother. They are the air I breathe. The reason that makes me wake up every morning even when I am so angry at them.
2- I am grateful for having friends. People who care about me even when I disappear for months. They never lose hope in digging me up. I am grateful they are always there.
3- I am grateful for having a large family. I have a total of 12 uncles and aunts both sides. With an average of 3 kids for each. You do the math. I have a little tribe that I call family. I am so grateful to have them and I am so grateful we are so close to each other.
4- I am grateful that people don’t hate me at first sight. Some might think I am arrogant but most of the time people like me.
5- I am grateful I can afford many things others can’t.
6- I am grateful I have nothing but minor problems. I could have said no problems but minor is my excuse to whine later.
7- I am grateful for being healthy and young.
8- I am grateful for having a religion. It would have been too hard for someone with my mind o find God if I was born not believing in one. I am grateful for being a Muslim.
9- I am grateful for being saved from all the troubles I had in my short life. God always saved me.
10- I am grateful for being able to remember these blessings in the dark moments. I am grateful that God is merciful to let his blessings lit my occasional darkness.
اللهم لك الشكر
So, now write your own list. You are tagged.
You can find Arabic translation here. Special thanks to L.G.
Sometimes I feel that you, my dear dedicated blog readers and passersby, are really lucky. Because most of the time God, for those of you who believe there is one, spare you a lot of none sense. I know it has been a while since I last wrote anything. It has been too long that I even forgot how I used to do it. But here I go again trying to be as courageous as before to spill the nonsense I have in my mind into a readable form.
So, I am thirty. Yeah, finally I crossed that virtual line I drew for myself 10 years ago. I was planning to get back to blogging by a long post about those thirty years of my life. I was planning to give a long speech about how failure is success in the core. I was planning different forms of celebrations that weren’t limited to that long philosophical speech that God just spared you. (For those who don’t believe in God this is enough reason to believe! Trust me!)
I was planning different outings with different people; I also planned a hair cut and a photo session. I was hoping to buy a new scanner to share with my “facebook world” the evidence that a cute little kid could actually grow to be …. Well, me!
As I have always done in the last 30 years I had the best laid plans and I had the will to see them through. Though the hair cut thing was delayed, and so did the metamorphosis photo album. But I had my share of fun and sure presents!
As I wanted, the celebrations started a week ahead. A thing that I believe a typical narcissist would do. My cousin threw me my 1st online party, my sister started the count down and dug all types of birthday songs she could find online. I started a series of outings with most of my favorite friends. I talked, they listened and the food was great.
To sum it up things seemed to be working perfectly according to plan, till it was – 3 or 4 hours to cross the line and the phone rang.
I wasn’t really expecting the voice on the other end but I kind of expected the call. It was my uncle’s wife telling me that my grandpa just passed away.
At this point I could start lecturing about life and death. I could take this as a reason to give the lecture I have been planning to prove how wise I am at the age of 30.
But I just can’t. Because two minutes after that phone call and as I was fighting tears and reciting prayers for my late grandpa I got a text message on my phone wishing me a happy birthday.
Well, it isn’t really my very 1st time to lose a grandparent just before my birthday; my grandma did it two days before my sweet 16. I don’t want to sound paranoid but doesn’t it feel like a conspiracy!
I just can’t stop laughing. How people are reacting to the awkwardness of the situation. I am having“three in one” phone calls, condolences + birthday wishes + Ramadan greetings.
I can’t ignore the irony. I am in no position to preach how a person should act in a similar social situation. I actually replied to those birthday wishes by “thanks, my grandpa passed away”. I know it was rude but I couldn’t find a better way. I really appreciated those who were socially smart and wished me a better year. I don’t mean that this year was a bad one, but what else could a one say in a birthday and a funeral!
Anyway, I thought that my 30th birthday was a really good joke and I shouldn’t be laughing at it alone.
And for you kids who aren’t 30 yet, don’t over plan! Because there will always be a factor that you can’t control. Whatever they teach you about planning in a pure myth. Planning is just organized dreaming because destiny will always be there. And always, always be ahead of things. Celebrate as early as you remember and apologize as soon as you do the mistake. Life is too short to wait for the right time.
And for those oldies above thirty, if you are still planning thinking you could beat destiny so you are hopeless. And if you are still waiting for the right time, congratulations you have wasted your life!
“Happy birthday, I am sorry for your loss and Ramadan Karim!”
Picture from: Gill's Blog
