A month of writing!

I can’t believe I actually committed to a full month of Ramadan diaries — something I haven’t managed in years. I used to do this daily when I first started the series. Daily! Who was she?

Weekly already felt like a stretch some days, not because I didn’t want to write, but because life has somehow become busier and more mentally taxing than it used to be. There’s less room for long-form reflection, and this little corner of the internet has been one of the things that quietly slipped into the background.

But writing again this month reminded me how much I love it. My intention post-Ramadan is to return to this space with more commitment and to put a bit more love back into it the way I used to. I’m not entirely sure what that will look like yet. Watch this space.

What this month has been

This Ramadan came with reflection, a few tests, moments that felt heavy, and even a heatwave that nearly took us all out. Yet somehow, through all of that, there was so much calm, acceptance and sabr. A sense of being held, even in the difficult parts.

Also, somewhere between trying not to melt and chugging ALL the ice water after Maghrib, I’ve been stressed because my Shein order has been “in transit” for what feels like 67 years (six seeevvvven LOL). I’m actually more worried about my friend’s clothes in the batch than my own. Eid is moments away, and at this rate we might just be wearing the emperor’s new clothes.

But even with all this, I’ve loved every moment of returning to these diaries. Next year, I might switch it up a little. We’ll figure out a structure that feels right when the time comes.

For now, these weekly reflections have been exactly what they needed to be — small windows into the week, into my thoughts, into the parts of Ramadan that don’t always make it to social media.

The bittersweet ending

As always, the end of Ramadan feels sudden. It comes and goes in a flash, and every year I wish it lasted just a little bit longer.

I’ve made very specific duas these past Ramadans — intentions and hopes that sit very close to my heart. Some of them haven’t been answered in the ways I imagined… but maybe that’s the answer. Or maybe the answer is still on its way, just arriving in a form I can’t see yet.

My trust, fully and completely, is in Allah. He knows what’s best for me long before I ever do.

There are dreams I hope to live out, goals I’ve been working toward — quietly, slowly, sometimes imperfectly — and I pray that they come to fruition before the next Ramadan, in the way that is best for me. I won’t go into detail, but they are things I want, and I’m learning to be kind to myself about the ones that haven’t happened yet. Circumstances aren’t always in our control.

A dua for all of us

I hope you had a beautiful and that you have a wonderful Eid surrounded by your loved ones.
May all your Ramadan duas, your quiet hopes, and every moment of your ibadah be accepted, Ameen.

And please keep me in your duas too.