Monday, June 30, 2014

Lucky Number 13

Dear Diary,


June 30th, 2014
Happy 13th anniversary Hubby

13 years full with ups and downs that I wouldn't trade with anything
13 years that I would gladly go through all over again
Thank you Allah for those 13 wonderful years

Hubby, I love you till Jannah

Friday, June 27, 2014

Happy Birthday Love

Dear Diary,

Love...
I'm not good with words
So I choose this for you


WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL
Ronan Keating (Boyzone)

It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may I could never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best...when you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear people talking out loud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Try as they may they can never define
What's been said between your heart and mine

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best...when you say nothing at all

You say it best when you say nothing at all
You say it best when you say nothing at all

The smile on your face
The truth in your eyes
The touch of your hand
Lets me know that you need me


Happy birthday love
I'm very thankful to Allah for lending you into my life
There're no words that can describe how much I love you

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Children Speaking Their Minds

Dear Diary,

My brother shared this via Whatsapp. It's hilarious!

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America
MARIA: Here it is
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
CLASS: Maria

TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using the tables

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile'?
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O

TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing that we have today that we didn't have ten years ago?
WINNIE: Me!

TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are

TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with I
MILLIE: I is...
TEACHER: No, Millie....always say, "I am"
MILLIE: All right..."I am" the ninth letter of the alphabet

TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now Louis, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand

TEACHER: Now Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook

TEACHER: Clyde, your composition on "My Dog" is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE: No sir, it's the same dog

TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Allah Owns Everything

Dear Diary,


Our children are only ever lent to us.
We never know just how long we will be able to keep them for.
So kiss them, cuddle them, praise them and hold them tightly.
But most of all... tell them you LOVE them EVERYDAY.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

You're Not A Failure

Dear Diary,

To the Mom who feels like she is a failure,
YOU'RE NOT

I know you've heard it before. You've read the articles, blog posts, tweets and Facebook statuses... You know you're not supposed to compare yourself to other moms.You know you are supposed to cut out the negative self-talk.

But today...it just got to be too much.

Today, you heard that voice in the back of your head that said, "I'm a failure." Maybe you went to a friend's house and saw that it was spotless. Or maybe you saw your other friend really making an impact in others' lives and wondered what stops you from doing big things. Or maybe you just looked around your home and couldn't find a space to sit and think.

And it all just became overwhelming.

The grease spot on the kitchen wall. The dirty cup under the table. The toys, scraps of paper and lonely socks without a match.

I've been there.

I know sometimes you manage to talk yourself out of the slump. Some days you give yourself grace. You remind yourself that that friend has a messy home too sometimes. That the other friend doing "big things" is in a different place in her life right now than you. And that the dirty kitchen isn't such a big deal; you can take care of it tomorrow.

But today...it hurts a little more than usual.

Today, you need a little bit more convincing. Today, you need someone to remind you that it's ok that you don't have a live in maid like that sister, or a husband or mother to watch your kids like that other sister...And you're not supposed to. You don't have to live up to their reality. You are living YOUR life and You Are Not A Failure.

You are not your greasy walls, your misplaced cups or your lost laundry. You are not the "dinner-gone-wrong-let's-order-kabsa" days. You are not defined by your low times. You can dust off your pants and get back up again.

You can do this.

I know you can. And Allah knows you can. You just need to know you can.

I want you to do something for yourself. I'm sure if I told you to write down all of the things you didn't do/don't have/need to do to be like sister so-and-so, that you could you fill a page pretty quickly.

But that's not what I want you to do.

I want you to write a list of all the things you DID do. All of the things you are for your children. All of the times you did great.

It may take a while, but that's okay. There's no time limit. Write down some and come back to it if you have to.

And remember -
1. Don't compare yourself to your other mom-friends
2. Stop the negative self-talk
3. Insya Allah, you can try again tomorrow
4. You are not alone

Author: Andrea Umm Abdullah

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Waktu-waktu Mustajab Doa

Dear Diary

WAKTU-WAKTU MUSTAJAB DOA

Satu pertiga malam
Sewaktu hujan turun
Waktu di antara dua khutbah khatib pada solat Jumaat
Sewaktu membacakan syahadah akhir setiap kali waktu solat
Tempoh masa dari azan hingga iqamat, dan juga sewaktu bilal telah iqamat untuk solat, dan sewaktu masuk ke dalam saf
Setiap sujud di dalam setiap waktu solat
Waktu dhuha

Monday, April 14, 2014

To Love and To Be Loved

Dear Diary,

A very poor man lived with his wife.

One day, his wife, who had very long hair asked him to buy her a comb for her hair to grow well and to be well-groomed.

The man felt very sorry and said no. He explained that he did not even have enough money to fix the strap of his watch that had just broken.

She did not insist on her request.

The man went to work and passed by a watch shop, sold his damaged watch at a low price and went to buy a comb for his wife.

He came home in the evening with the comb in his hand ready to give to his wife.

He was surprised when he saw his wife with a very short haircut.

She had sold her hair and was holding a new watch band.

Tears flowed simultaneously from their eyes, not for the futility of their actions, but for the reciprocity of their love.

To love is nothing, to be loved is something but to love and to be loved by the one you love, that is EVERYTHING. Never take love for granted.

Taken from LiteFM's Facebook

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Smile

Dear Diary,

Smiles are contagious. Be a carrier
Let a smile be your umbrella on a rainy day
Wear a smile and have friends; wear a scowl and have wrinkles
A smile is a powerful weapon. You can even break ice with it.
A smile is like looking in a mirror.
If you give a smile you're likely to get one back
Smile if it kills you. The physiology of smiling diffuses a lot of anger and angst. It makes your body and soul feel better.
Be your own florist: wreathe your face in smiles
You are not fully dressed until you wear a smile.
He who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger
It's easy enough to be pleasant when everything goes like a song, but the man who is worthwhile, is the man who can smile when everything goes dead wrong
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been
A smile of encouragement at the right moment may act like sunlight on a closed-up flower; it may be the turning point for a struggling life.
Be multilingual; smiles are the universal language
A smile enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give
So many languages in the world and a smile speaks them all
All the statistics in the world can't measure the warmth of a smile
A smile is just a frown upside-down

But most of all smile because it is the sunnah of our beloved Nabi S.A.W

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Motherhood

Dear Diary,

Motherhood is a choice you make every day
To put someone else's happiness and well-being ahead of your own
To teach the hard lessons
To do the right thing even when you're not sure what the right thing is
...And to forgive yourself over and over again
For doing everything wrong

~~ Donna Ball ~~

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

My Only Daughter is 6 Today

Dear Diary,

A birthday wish to my princess - NUR ZARRA ZULAIKA


HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAYANG

I am very blessed to have you in my life. You're such an angel always trying your best to please everybody. You're an obedient, brave, helpful and reliable daughter. You set a good example to your little brother. You fancy everything beautiful. You love make-up, books and swimming.

My prayers are with you always and forever. May you have a wonderful life, may you grow into being a solehah muslimah, may success be with you in every step of the way.

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART


Monday, March 24, 2014

Dedication To All Mothers

Dear Diary,

DEDICATED TO ALL MOTHERS

She works 24 hours a day,
She's a Mum,
She's an alarm clock,
A cook, a maid,
A teacher, a nanny,
A nurse, a driver,
A handyman, a security officer,
A photographer, a counselor,
She doesn't get holiday, sick pay or days off,
She works through the day and the night,
And gets paid in hugs and kisses.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

M-O-T-H-E-R

Dear Diary,


"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold,
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,
Put them all together, they spell "MOTHER",
A word that means the world to me.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

The Shoes

Dear Diary,

It was a long, hard winter. Sadi was very cold because his shoes were worn and they let the water in. For the first time, he was sorry that his family was very poor. He thought how nice it would be if they had enough money to buy a thick coat and some good shoes.

One day Sadi was returning from school with his bag in hand. He stopped before the central mosque just as the azan for afternoon prayer was being called. Sadi liked to pray in the mosque, so he went into the courtyard and walked up to the fountain to perform his ablution. He left his school bag and rolled up his sleeves. He knew almost everyone who was performing ablution there. He sat at a fountain and took off his shoes. His socks were dirty and wet. Angrily he threw one of his torn shoes on the ground. Then he saw a man performing ablution next to him. This man washed one leg and then stood up. Sadi noticed that the man had only one leg.

Now he was embarrassed. He had been worried about his shoes, but that man had only one leg. Maybe he had a lot of money to buy shoes; but money wasn't everything. After completing his prayer, Sadi began to pray to Allah, raising his hands high. He thanked Allah for his strong legs.

** Hadith **
"Always be content with less. Then you will be the best at thanking Allah."

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Cycle of Life

Dear Diary,

My dear girl, the day you see I'm getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I'm going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don't interrupt to say: "You said the same thing a minute ago" ... Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep.

When I don't want to take a bath, don't be mad and don't embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl?

When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don't look at me that way ... remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life's issue every day ... the day you see I'm getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I'm going through.

If I occasionally lose track of what we're talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can't, don't be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you.

And when my old, tired legs don't let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don't feel sad ... just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I'll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I've always had for you, I just want to say, I love you ... my darling daughter.

Original text in Spanish and photo by Guillermo Pena.
Translation to English by Sergio Cadena.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Burned Biscuits

Dear Diary,

Another beautiful story to share...a lesson we all should learn

BURNED BISCUITS
When I was a kid, my Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my Mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! All my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my Mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing...never made a face nor uttered a word about it! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said, "Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Mom put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burned biscuit never hurt anyone!"

As I've grown older, I've thought about that many times. Life is full of imperfect things and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults and choosing to celebrate each other's differences is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing and lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today...that you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal breaker! We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! "Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own." So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine. Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Source unknown

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Need Washing

Dear Diary,

An inspiring story shared by a friend...

NEED WASHING
A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.

It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there, under the awning, just inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day.

I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

Her little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, "Mom let's run through the rain," she said.

"What?" Mom asked.

"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated.

"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.

This young child waited a minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain."

"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.

"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"

"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, if God can get us through this, He can get us through anything!"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one left. Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say.

Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If God let us get wet, well maybe we just need washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They got soaked.

They were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories. So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories every day.

To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Quoted from 95.7 KJR's Facebook

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A Little Good Goes A Long Way

Dear Diary,

Once a man was walking along a beach.The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached, he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand. There had been a storm and as the result of the storm they had been thrown onto shore.

The man was struck by the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached, the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.

As he came up to the person, he said: "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." The person looked at the man for a moment. He then stooped down and picked up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said: "To THAT one, it made a difference."

Moral of the story: Small things can make big changes/impacts. A little good goes a long way...

Sunday, February 16, 2014

10 Things Kids Want From Parents

Dear Diary,

10 THINGS KIDS WANT FROM PARENTS
1. Tuck me in and sing me a song. Also tell me stories about when you were little.
2. Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately.
3. Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around.
4. Give me nutritious food so I can grow up healthy.
5. At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend.
6. At night talk to me about anything; love, school, family, etc.
7. Let me play outside a lot.
8. Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favorite TV show together.
9. Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care.
10. Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag.

Quoted from Islam For Kids' Facebook

Sunday, February 9, 2014

True Love

Dear Diary,

It was approximately 8.30 a.m. on a busy morning when an elderly gentleman in his eighties arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9.00 a.m. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat. I knew it would take more than an hour before someone would be able to attend to him. I saw him check his watch anxiously for the time and decided to evaluate his wound since I was not busy with another patient. On examination, the wound was well healed. Hence, I talked to one of the doctors to get the supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

We began to engage in a conversation while I was taking care of his wound. I asked if he had another doctor's appointment later as he was such in a hurry. The gentleman told me no and said that he needed to go to the nursing home to have breakfast with his wife. I inquired about her health. He told me that she had been in the nursing home for a while as she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease. I probed further and asked if she would be upset if he was slightly late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was and she had not been able to recognize him since five years ago. I asked him in surprise, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." I had to hold back my tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my arms, and I thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life." True love is neither physical nor romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be and will not be.

Quoted from Alzheimer's Team's Facebook

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Coffee in Cups

Dear Diary,

A group of friends, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups…..And then began envying each other’s cups."

Now consider this: “Life is the COFFEE; the jobs, money and position in the society are the CUPS. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us”. God brews the coffee, not the cups.

NOTE: The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

It's Your Choice

Dear Diary,

EVERYTHING is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing.

You get to choose.

~ Wayne Dyer ~