Wednesday, January 11, 2023
I'm sorry, but I can't go home yet
This morning, I awoke startled.
10.54 AM.
God, not again.
I was supposed to attend a VWL class at 10.15 AM, and I guess it’s not worth all the rush and racing with the ticking clock. I texted a good friend of mine that I woke up late and chuckled as I read her answers.
👩 Ich wusste es.
👩 Ich wollte gestern noch zu dir sagen 'aber nicht verschlafen!'
I knew it.
I wanted to say to you yesterday, 'but don’t oversleep!’
Truth is, I slept at 3 AM. Not only today but also almost every day since last week. Please don’t ask me why, because I'm also looking for a definite answer.
It’s not even the 2nd week of 2023, yet there were a lot of human things that happened. Few called it drama, but I decided to call it life.
I opened the window and wondered why the sky looked so gloomy today. It seemed like it was about to rain. The sweater weather made me march back to bed. I still have time to kill before the next class anyway.
As I scroll down through Instagram, my sister phoned.
Great. What a perfect time to get caught.
My soul is still disconnected, my sight hazy, but I took the call anyway.
📞 Have you checked the family WhatsApp group?
What?
I read through the 30+ messages.
My head was spinning and my heart skipped a beat.
Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rojiun
Telah berpulang kahadirat Allah SWT
Ibu Sukarti bin Sadili Martowirejo
Pada hari ini, Rabu, 11 Januari 2023 pukul 20.23 WIB.
Mohon doanya semoga almarhumah berpulang dengan husnul khotimah.
Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi rojiun
Has passed away in the presence of Allah SWT
Mrs. Sukarti bin Sadili Martowirejo
Today, Wednesday, 11th January 2023 at 20.23 West Indonesia Time.
Please pray that the deceased will leave with husnul khotimah (beautiful closure).
Grandma.
At this point, the gloomy sky started to pour heavily. 🌧
Assalamu'alaikum.
Hello, friends.
I hope you are starting 2023 with a big heart and positive determination. As I pondered about reviving my blog, my top priorities were to ‘spread positivity’ and to ‘make people feel better’. That's why I felt sorry for having to begin my first post in 2023 with such... agony.
But you know what? This is one of the many things, students abroad and those who live far away from their loved ones have to face day by day, besides their constant academic struggle. I think it’s crucial to let you guys know how big the tradeoff is. And I want you to know that even the darkest clouds still have silver linings. 🌥
You may read this post because you know me from my sugar-coated Instagram account. Duh, of course I don’t want you to see me right now. Especially when I struggle to even open my swollen eyes due to the ‘excessive’ production of tears, in addition to my already unwanted sleep-deprived routines.
Oh, to dream out loud. The bigger the dream, the bigger things you must ready to sacrifice. If you ask me to list all the things that I missed out on during my venture abroad, trust me friend, it will be never-ending.
I just can’t describe how painful it is not to see how my little sister has grown into a fine young woman, or how my parents’ hair has started to shift to silver.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go home yet.”
I tried so hard to let out a simple smile every time I said ‘I wish I was there to celebrate your happy day’ when my friends video-called me during their birthdays.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go home yet.”
How must I have felt when I turned down a lot of wedding invitations from the kindest friends?
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go home yet.”
And then it hit me so hard and cruelly when I heard about Grandma’s passing. Yet, besides the prayers and the deepest condolences, these words always linger in my mouth.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go home yet.”
A lot of things made me contemplate life. However, in plain English, the depressing days taught me a lot more. Most of the time, it made no sense when it happened. Then, magically, a couple of months later, I can do nothing but thank God that I was able to absorb a lot of learnings from the dreary experience.
During my time abroad, I’m alone with my thoughts most of the time. I ponder quite a lot, and sometimes even too much. How frail we can be at times; how can we be in a room full of people and feel as if there is no one to rely on; and how far can our hearts ache? 💔
I don't want this heartbreak post to be self-pitying, where I lament the things I wish I had done, the promises I unwillingly break, or the words I should have said because someone else's time is the God's top secret.
I want this to serve as a reminder that all you have is the present. Say what you want to say, love like you always wanted to love, pour your tawbah--repentance in your prayers, forgive and be kind to others... Because truth to be told, we are all one breath away from our last.
Ever heard of The Hero's Journey?
Coined by Joseph Campbell, this storytelling framework divides the plot of a story into three stages. First, the hero’s mundane life is disrupted by a call for adventure. Second, the hero has to overcome challenges and defeat enemies during their quest. Then third, they finally return home transformed. At each stage of the journey, the heroes will undergo inner and outer transformations.
Living with mundane routines (1) we are always thirsty for adventures (2), yet too afraid to take the risks (3). Then there comes a time when someone or something sparks our energy and enthusiasm to jump into the boat #YOLO (4). Leaving our comfort zones (5), we may regret our impulsivity (!!) yet we made great friends anyway, dealt with a lot of challenges, and grew from our mistakes (6).
As we get closer to our goals (7), there will always be problems that are so big we thought we couldn’t make it (8). Then help came magically, a light at the end of the tunnel (9). We constantly learn, reflect, and make sure the bad stuff wouldn’t happen again (10). Nevertheless, big obstacles may come in the way despite how close we are to the finish line (11). In the end, the hero heads home. Triumphant (12). And the cycle will begin again at (1).
I don’t know about you, but I like to think that we are the heroes of our own stories. (Yep, here we go with our main character's energy!). It makes me feel really hopeful to perceive the world as our runway.
I met a lot of people, strong ones, along the way who went through things that my limited human brain can’t fully comprehend and sympathise with. Their stories are, in short, overwhelmingly insane. Not to compare, but if I were put in their shoes at the same time as them, I doubt I could handle it as gracefully as they did..
Life can be very brutal in a second. Yet somehow… As the world spun like smooth jazz, we found reasons to keep on living. We found hope. Sometimes even from the most unexpected places. We just have to keep walking, if not, crawling, until along the way all the puzzle pieces come together and everything will make perfect sense.
“Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity…” (Al-Baqarah: 286)
The excerpt of this verse is very well known among my friends from high school and has been kept very close to my heart until this very day. Sometimes, we do get pushed to our limit. We do need to give some things up and then need to pivot. We do feel like the mountains are too heavy to be moved. We do have limited time. But surprisingly, along our rocky paths, God had given us a scenic view to ease our minds, heartwarming conversations in books that somehow uplift our spirits, even bizarre encounters with strangers-turned-best friends.
I may have changed my major from Food Chemistry (a story for another time), but there is one thing I learned in Physical Chemistry. Based on the second law of Thermodynamics, the total entropy or chaos in this universe is always positive. Meaning, it can never get back to zero or decrease, it’s simply there and expanding. To note, the more disorder there is, the higher the entropy. If you are curious about this, believe me, you don’t want to hear my explanation. I’ll give you the freedom to search for yourself on Google.
Studying abroad has a lot of tradeoffs. Sure.
But it can change your life for the better. Definitely.
Nevertheless, despite the gruesome plots life had written for me up until this point, I’m very grateful that the whole process has been very rewarding. I definitely broke my heart into million pieces along the way. Yet, without it, I will never learn how to heal myself and rely on Him to get back up again. As they said, no heartbreak lasts forever.
Life is bizarre, chaotic, and ecstatic. Yet it’s also beautiful, serene, and fulfilling at the same time. Frankly, I think that being hopeful is one of the secrets of living (other than not drinking too much caffeine or getting enough sleep I suppose). We all struggling, but please never make an excuse that your heroic story doesn’t matter at all.
In reality, we have choices until we don't. Time is running short.
I hope that instead of running away from the uncomfortable feelings and seemingly impossible challenges, you had the strength and courage to, in the end, accept the bleeding, heal, and then keep walking.
Because we all know that when the hero stops, their story ends there.
Thank you for sticking around.
I hope--my last hope--we are strong enough to hope.
At least, until we can go back home again.
Love and light,
Sintya
More recommended reading:
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Untamed Desires
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Surviving Indecisive Uni Decisions
بِسْÙ…ِ ٱللّٰÙ‡ِ ٱلرَّØْÙ…َٰÙ†ِ ٱلرَّØِيم
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I’m scared of going forward, fearing I wouldn’t choose the right path. But the entrance door has been shut closed. There is no way back.
- Relentlessly triage,
- Design for crazy,
- Get out of your head.
1. Relentlessly triage
There are some circumstances that force us to throw some work out of the list – things that are beyond our capability, things that we must move on from, even if it’s gut-wrenching. In the Emergency Room (ER) dr. Daria mentioned that the doctors there are being trained to ‘mengikhlaskan’ or let it be. If you wanted to do everything -- even things that aren't worth fighting for anymore -- then you’ll have no energy to dwell with the real majors.
2. Design for crazy
3. Get out of your head
It’s in our hands to see fire as a life-threatening being or as the beginning of life.
Brave yourself to try. Face it. Adapt to the odds. Survive.
You know, sometimes it's not you that overthink the probabilities, but it's you that let fear controls your decision. Take the chance, HAJAR RASA TAKUT!
“The thing about growing up with Fred and George," said Ginny thoughtfully, "is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve.” (J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
Sunday, May 3, 2020
Cavemen of the 21st Century
بِسْÙ…ِ ٱللّٰÙ‡ِ ٱلرَّØْÙ…َٰÙ†ِ ٱلرَّØِيم
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Hello, Lieblings!
I hope you guys are doing well throughout this (still) time of uncertainty and for those who are observing the holy month of Ramadan, despite the current situation we are facing, may Allah shower us with peace, calamity, and of course, strength.
How are you guys? No, I mean, really. How are you? What do you feel? Are you feeling warm and joyful? Or are you feeling numb and blue?
In my case, I'm actually feeling hazy and cloudy a few days ago. Not only because the weather is literally cloudy, windy, and gloomy, but I feel like... empty inside. It feels like there is a big hole inside me that is longing and aching for something.
For those who don't know yet, I'm actually taking a gap semester right now as my major begins in Winter Semester which is actually in around September/October. This may also change due to the Coronavirus, but, who knows. Long story short, I miss the time when I was positively busy and productive.
There are also times when I have unintentionally busy myself with things that don't really beneficial for me. I could actually be scrolling through Kekeyi's Instagram account to get some good laugh for a couple hours (and I actually feel bad about it right now? Haha, Astaghfirullah).
Sometimes I even spend way too much time watching cooking Youtube videos, David Chang's Netflix shows or simply stalking recipes in Cookpad and Tasty, without actually cooking them. I'm actually tired of being tired of not doing anything useful. I don't know if that sentence even makes any sense, but I hope you guys can somehow understand.
Then, I came to realize that I feel like I've had enough of being too caught up in a web of useless things. I longed to be productive and actually miss studying, working hard, and actually going to classes offline.
WhoA.
Never in my life have I ever think about saying those things.
I'm in awe myself.
And today, with a handful of motivation and consideration I have piled up since last night, I was planning of going to study to prepare for the upcoming semester. But then I was intrigued to go to Youtube. Procrastination alert. (Procrastinators, gimme your bump fists!! 👊👊)
However, I came across videos of gentle reminders from a Sheikh I currently love to hear, and his name is Omar Suleiman. He founded a platform that I found very useful and made Islamic studies really accessible for people through Yaqeen Insitute and Yaqeen Institue Youtube channel. I don't know, I feel like I could listen to his virtual halaqah for hours. His voice is so soothing and calming, and I think I wouldn't mind if a person like him scolds me. Lol.
I was really intrigued by a video titled Find Clarity in Your Cave. Sheikh Omar spoke about the story of Ashabul Kahf, meaning the 'people of the cave'. These people were actually being mentioned in the Qur'an in Surah Al Kahf (verse 9 -26) and the Biblical version of the people is actually called The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. Though the Qur'an doesn't really mention the number of them.
The story is about a number of young men who secluded themselves from the 'chaos' of the society at around 250 CE. They, as believers of Tawheed or the oneness of Allah SWT and the teachings of Prophet Isa AS, rebelled against the practices of their current Roman king called Daqyanoos (Decius) and his people. The tyrannical king would annually hold pagan sacrifices dedicated to worship idols, which wasn't aligned with what they held tight into. The king was absolutely really angry with their rebellion, hence wanted them to be killed. The Ashabul Kahf then fled and went into hiding. It reached a certain point when they need to rest for a while in a cave and decided to sleep while leaving their dog Qitmir as a guard at the entrance of the cave. On the contrary to what they feel about sleeping for just a few hours when they wake up, Allah SWT had miraculously made them + Qitmir sleep for 300 solar years (equivalent to 309 lunar years).
Sheikh Omar Suleiman compared this story of our current situation -- The Quarantine. Due to the widespread of the pandemic, we too, need to seclude ourselves from the outside world. When we think about it, aren't we actually the cavemen of the 21st century?
Rather than complaining about things we don't actually have in control, shouldn't we better use this unique opportunity of solitude in our 'cave'? Avoiding the dusty chaos of the worldly life, that we used to face in our normal days? Reflect. Ponder. Count our blessings. Enjoy the silence.
Maybe... God knows that we are too caught up and baffled with our daily errands not noticing the Earth slowly weakens. Maybe, this pandemic is actually a blessing in disguise. When our ego is forced to mute, when kindness and bravery started to grow, nourishing more and more across the globe, when at last human beings looked surprisingly more 'humanly'. People started to spread not only love but also free educative classes (as an act of love, right?) throughout Youtube, Live-Instagrams, and Webinars. I was actually stunned.
Now that we know that being at home itself could be a blessing for those who are having the privilege to, the question now is, how to maximize this one-of-a-lifetime (hopefully) opportunity?
Reflecting at what I did few days ago, I think, some people may feel the same way as I do. Busy myself doing 'unbeneficial' things. Unintentionally. Then miraculously I found that the takeaways from Imam Omar Suleiman in his another virtual halaqah, "Avoiding of which that doesn't concern you", really slaps me on the face.
He referred to the flipside of a hadith reported by Ibn Umar: The Prophet Muhammad PBUH said, "The most beloved people to Allah are those who are most beneficial to people." If that is the case, then the flip side is that the people who are the most abandoned by Allah are those who are the most unbeneficial to people.
Aside from Islam itself and the hadiths that I'm quoting in this post, I think we can actually still learn something. I think this hadith is trying to tell us that, don't. waste. the. frikin. oxygen. by doing stuff that is useless. Everyone is currently facing this kind of trial, I believe. Borderless. Every race, every nation, every language's speaker, every age.
People are having too much time in their hands that they are so easy to get lost. Just by consuming the latest news, you could suddenly be caught up in a drama. Juicy gossips and affairs with people that are exposing other brothers' and sisters' flaws might suddenly fill our Instagram explore page -- which aren't actually our concern, plus, it doesn't really have any benefit.
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Sometimes we are too busy scrolling our virtual timeline not realizing our analog timeline does not stop. Dude, it's mercilessly still freaking ticking. It doesn't care about whether we are facing a pandemic or not, whether we are watching a halaqah from great scholars, Bill Gates' interviews or even Happy Tree Friends on Youtube. I too, am still learning and struggling in this concern. Honestly.
HOWEVER scrolling through the timeline had made brave stories of heroes without capes during the pandemic also accessible. I could never imagine being put in the shoes of people that are in deep sorrow and confusion of how they could actually bury their loved ones that couldn't fight the virus back, and people that are still fighting the odds outside to fulfill their obligations of serving some food on the dinner table. 😔
Though I'm none of those brave heroes and 'front liners' during this pandemic, maybe I could try not to waste the holy grail privilege to just breathe normally at home. Without any pain. Without suffering. Without the help of any machines and ventilators. Now, don't you feel privileged enough?
Sometimes it's not social media. It's not the news. It's neither Netflix nor Youtube. It's not about other people that intrigued us. It's about ourselves and how we make use of all things that are being served before our eyes. Considering everything has two sides of a story, it's up to us whether to make it a positive thing or a bad one.
Maybe, this is the time to actually reflect and think not only of the mishaps we have done before but how we could go out a better person at the end of this pandemic. It could be a better daughter, sister, student, writer, reader, learner. Be a better someone. Seeking for what actually meant for us and busy ourselves with things that are actually worthy of our time and being. Though I'm a lazy slacker myself sometimes, I don't want to die in vain being no one and leaving no useful legacy.
Trying is the keyword here folks and starting small is a great start. Forcing ourselves to do enormous things that we can't handle (though they are good) may overwhelm us, hence lose the perfect momentum.
May the seeds of kindness and love that are being planted today still nourish until an undefined time and the remembrance of the bravery of our people always have a place in our hearts. In the meantime, let's work hard and together become a wiser 'time-waster' in our caves! Are you with me? 💪
"The world is three days: As for yesterday, it has vanished. As for tomorrow, you may never see it. As for today, it is yours, so work on it." (Hasan al Basri)
Sintya✌
References:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Seven-Sleepers-of-Ephesus
https://www.islamiclandmarks.com/jordan/cave-of-ashabe-kahf-exterior
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
How Sariawan Changes Life
بِسْÙ…ِ ٱللّٰÙ‡ِ ٱلرَّØْÙ…َٰÙ†ِ ٱلرَّØِيم
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Hallo, Lieblings!
Let's start this post by congratulating my fellow Muslims who are celebrating Ramadan! May Allah SWT filled our hearts with a bundle of joy and harmony, shower us with loads of peace and prosperity, and grant us relief in this time of uncertainty during this blessed month. 💖
Let's start with the fact that something peculiar happened to me a week before Ramadan started.
I hope you are not clickbait-ed with what I wrote as the title of this post because dude, it really happened. For those who aren't used to the word 'sariawan', it literally means ulcer. You know, that teeny-tiny wound inside your mouth. Oftentimes develop when you accidentally bite your tongue, when you lack essential vitamins, or even when you are simply stressed out and lacking sleep.
Judging by its size, this teeny tiny little wound is really small... but don't get me started talking about the pain. Man, it is painful. Very. Especially when it caught inflammation and turned white. I wonder what is even more painful, being heartbroken or getting 3 ulcers all at once. But when you think about the consequences of both wound types they do actually have similar consequences; uncomfortable experience when you are eating (and lack of appetite), drinking and even talking. They just... hurt differently. 😀
(Ok, that one's so cringy, I laughed)
Quick info for those who might feel alienated hearing the word 'Ramadan', here's a brief explanation to y'all.
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims all around the world observe it as a month of fasting, reflection, and prayer. It commemorates the first revelation of the Prophet Muhammad SAW (a.k.a. The Qur'an). Ramadan lasts for 29 to 30 days depending on the year and the holiday of Eid al Fitr marks the end of the month. During the whole month of Ramadan, Muslims (that are capable of practicing) are obliged to fast on a daily basis from sunrise to sunset. Sawm, The Arabic word for fasting means “to refrain” not only from food, drink, but also nasty actions, thoughts, and words.
So, I hope you guys had a little bit of an idea that as a Muslim I'm not allowed to even take a bite of a cookie and even drink a sip of dalgona coffee during the day in Ramadan. That's why folks I was actually planning to eat so many desserts as possible and enjoy the last minute blessing of my homemade brownies to pile up fat under my skin before Ramadan so that I wouldn't die in hunger.
DISCLAIMER: Pardon the exaggeration haha. And no, you wouldn't die by intermittent fasting! In contrary to what people may think, fasting is actually good for our health. (read more: Live Science | Health Benefits of Fasting, Backed by Science | Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting)
Now going back to the ulcer thing. As you could easily guess, I got an ulcer. A big and white one. On the upper right side of my lip. When I closed my mouth, this little nasty thing hits the literal checkpoint. My canine tooth or the fang (re: gigi taring). Of all the areas in my mouth, I often question it for choosing this certain spot.
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That is the least pain I want to feel in this world, really.
And a week before Ramadan? Really, ulcer?
I was devastated, I couldn't even eat my favorite spaghetti carbonara peacefully or even drink my beloved homemade boba ðŸ˜
But in every oddity, there is always marvel and things get a little bit more interesting from here. As I couldn't really open my mouth all the time (how do you expect me to?!), to avoid the 'curse of the fang' I have no other option than closing it. But flexing the muscle at the side of my right mouth upward, and you know it.
I curved a smile.
Yes, you got it right, folks. I was forced by this nasty thing to smile for literally 24/7. Before this incident, I wasn't actually the full-of-smile type of a person. I'd rather say my frown is like my crown, it's there all along (yes you heard it HAHA). I couldn't recall the time when my sister ever compliments me for smiling as I was really a grumpy ball back home.
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I mean, why should I smile even when nobody's watching. People will think I'm mad or might even think that my head hit the wall or something. It sounds cringy and kind of an exaggeration, however, this ulcer is actually one of the turning points in my life. How?
I read articles about the benefits of smiling (and I think you ever did too, even only once) but never really benefit from it because I don't really like to smile. Except for photos. And if I'm really happy. And faking smiles, oooops. In a nutshell, I wasn't actually used to smile on a daily basis without any reason. 🙅
But. This. Nasty. Ulcer. Changed. Everything!!!
However, as days go by, I kind of realize something. Every time I looked at myself in the mirror every morning, a reflection of the pretty-smiling me stared back. Though I wasn't certainly happy with anything, smiling brightens my mood and starts the day more energized. Every time I'm trying to solve some ridiculously hard Sudoku game -- while smiling ofc -- makes me feel a little lighter. Even when I'm about to sleep, I smile, and those nights may be the nights when my head actually feels relaxed.
I think that week was the happiest week of my life not because I won a BTS concert tickets giveaway and rode the Ferrari, but simply because I smiled a lot. And maybe, you don't even need those things to be happy and make others happy 😊 Days after the whole ulcer thing had actually affected my life in many ways. I even still smiling more on a daily basis up until today. This grumpy ball is turning into a sunbeam!
I was actually asking a friend of mine, Hasna, how to get rid of my chubby chin. And God had bizarre ways of actually giving me solutions plus the bonuses. My mind was actually blown up even more after I experienced such dramatic tragedy -- which turns out to be a blessing in disguise -- and re-reading the benefit of smiling.
#1 Smile combats depression
Researchers have found that preventing people from frowning and having them demonstrate happy feelings can actually lessen symptoms of depression.#2 Grin and Bear it!
This expression actually means to smile even though you are not happy. Researchers found that when people's faces were manipulated into smiles, they actually showed impressive movements in their moods and well-being, such as lower rates of stress. 😉#3 Reduce blood pressure
Smiling helps you to relax, consequently, your blood pressure will naturally decrease. Even just five minutes of smiling off and on while thinking of a pleasant memory can eliminate stress and help your blood pressure drop. When recovering from a stressful situation, study participants who were smiling had lower heart rates than those with a neutral facial expression.#4 Smiling strengthens you immune system
One study found that hospitalized children who were visited by story-tellers and puppeteers that had made them smile and laugh had higher white blood cell counts than those children who weren't visited. It also revives your body's energy levels! 💪#5 Smiling releases Endorphins
Endorphins are natural mood-boosters chemicals that could help you manage stress and anxiety. They are essentially a sugar rush for your brain, but without any terrifying after-effects like grumpiness and lethargy. Surprisingly, smiling can trigger the release of this hormone equivalent to when you're working out, resulting in what is known as a runner's high. Plus, Endorphins act as natural painkillers, so if you're experiencing any discomfort, a quick smile can help you relax and feel better.#6 Smiling makes you look younger
Studies have shown that on average when you smile, you can actually look about 3 years younger. Smiling can naturally lift your face and can fend off any frown lines you may get.Well, well, well. To be honest, I don't know whether to believe in every single point, but I think no harm is actually being made if you smile more. Except for certain circumstances, like when the boss is in full anger, or when you are being scolded by your parents, or even when your friend is telling you a teary story. You would actually risk a higher level of stress. Please, just, don't smile 😂
After all, I'm a survivor of this unidentified blessing, covering up as a tragedy. And please, though smile releases Endorphins and increases immunity and bla bla bla, you still have to move that ass and keep moving! Sweat it out!
In this time of uncertainty, I understand that we are too, forced to adapt to the new normal and might feel exhausted from doing the same routine, in the same place all over again. Especially for my fellow Muslims. But when you are tired, remember just by smiling you are already donating good deeds into your bank account of The Hereafter. Narrated by At-Tirmidhi, Abdullaah ibn Haarith said, "I never came across a person as much as Prophet Muhammad PBUH. He PBUH regarded smiling to a brother as an act of charity."
I really hope that you guys could actually take some takeaways and wished that this weird experience of mine could benefit you in many unique ways possible. Now, take a moment to smile! Take a moment to reminisce how delicious the food your mother made for iftar or even at your father's lame jokes. Let's spread this contagious act of positivity rather than mourning over things we couldn't control.
Cheers on the great jobs and accomplishments you have done during the quarantine up until today! Might not be the most productive phase of life, but great job, for the odds you've already fought. We are human anyway, flaws and imperfections are always part of our game. Oh and in case anyone hasn't told you today, I love your smile. It suits you. 😊
And lastly, whO doesn't lOve alpaca in sunglasses? lol.
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Love and light,
Sintya💖
"So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it." [Qur'an Surah Az-Zalzalah verse 7-8]