A Writer, An Island, A Connection
I loved Anne with an E
And I love Asma’s writing, owner of Rukayya’s bookshelf house of edition.
and this place, combined them both:
As I was scrolling down my facebook profile, reminiscing the content I shared, looking for a continuity between who I used to be and who I am.
Asma’s writing have been a therapeutic reading for me ever since I discovered her on the social media platform called Facebook.
I forgot how I came across her magnificent content, but I’m so glad I did.
A little over a year ago, I shared her picture on a beach, where she talked about how finding herself completely alone, she took off her Hijab and felt the fresh breeze of ocean magic filled air in her hair. She then put it on again as she saw people getting near. What I liked about the moral of her little story is the beauty of sacrifice and commitment sealed together in the the obedience of Allah.
Back then, I was neither a Hijabi, nor looking into any near future of being so. As a matter of fact, have you asked me if I had any intentions of doing so, I would have answered: I don’t think I’ll ever wear it.
However, the commitment she displayed, so graciously acted in that event of her life is the essence of the story, not the Hijab part.
As I looked back into the past, taking the time (oh AlhamdoulilAllah I did) to read it again, I was curious this time to search the place she mentioned where she took the picture.
It’s the beach above.
And then, a connection made its sweet explosion in my head, the place felt familiar.
and it was!
It was the beach near Charlottetown, where Anne (from the book and series Anne with an E) was adopted and raised!
A peaceful harmony entered my heart.
There is a beautiful, magnificent…nay: Existentially ravigorating sensation to discover a harmony in our interests and natural inclinations.
For someone looking to find their path, looking to trace their road upon this huge wild wide world of practices, it felt like a sign, and it is.
Writing has always been my preferred artistic expression, and it might be the only thing in my life I’ve found sense in.
Sometimes, when I contemplate a possible carreer in writing, I ask myself: With all the existent competition, how do you think YOU will stand out? And with increasingly low-focus capabilities of people and patience to read, WHO will give your writing their attention?
The question itself is steaming from a limited, so so limited, perspective of opportunities.
I don’t know, and I’m not supposed to know.
If acute competition were to stop an ambitious passionate person from following their dreams, they are neither ambitious nor passionate in the first place.
If a pessimistic vision of the future were to be convincing so not to try, what would humanity look forward to?
But like anyone, I’m afraid.
Afraid of failing,
Afraid of being unable to make ends meet,
Afraid of writing something which might be erronous, deceitful or worse, harmful to the reader.
But why, oh WHY, should I think of what is beyond my control and within the control of my most Mericful and Generous Creator?
I used to think of my dreams ans aspirations in a pragmatic way (and I still think a reasonable amount of that is needed even for our wildest hopes so to be operational and know how WALK (operationally speaking) the steps of its realization), but I understand now that life simply doesn’t obey to the rules we think are unmovable, non-negociable and fixed.
What is meant by that is 1+1=2 in most cases, but we don’t know the real value of each one in that occasion, and our Creator is so Magnanimously Generous, and most importantly, FREE to add millions to that 2 of the equation. It might sound like I’m selling you a way too optimistic approach to life, that is maybe even dangerous to spread, especially given the propensity of younger generations to be the takers of the ‘easy way’ and the trap of justified procrastination.
Which is why I’m accentuating on the Intention of our aspirations and the Effort done in Every Bit of Endeavour we undertake in our lives.
Let me clarify even further.
If you spent a lot of your money, energy and other kind of your dear and precious resources on X project, and X project ends up failing.
Then, as a courageous, tireless and optimisit fighting soul that you are, you embark on a project Y.
You might assume you’re starting ALL from scratch.
You’re not.
Our Creator has not wasted your efforts for the project X, and will maybe yield more successful results from project Y than the effort you’ve actually spent on it.
So in conclusion, you spent 100 tokens of efforts on X, and it failed as if you only spent 1.
And you spent 1 tokens of efforts on Y, and it succeeded as you spent 100.
So we are truly, simply and straight-forwardly asked to deploy effort, sincere and conscious efforts towards whatever we do, even if not directly linked to our specific dreams.
Apologies reader for taking an unexpted turn in this piece, but isn’t this also yet another reminder to dare take unexpected turns, by following our hunches, by reflecting on how we feel about something and the meaningul pleasure it procures us with.
Just like the link between Asma’s writing and Anne with an E’s location of adoption made sense to me, and it was brought to a deepened trust that I SHOULD indeed pursue writing more passionately, seriously and hopefully.
That was only possible, I believe, because I give myself the time to contemplate upon what brings joy to my soul.
Do you take the time to contemplate what brings joy to yours?
I hop you do, dear reader.
Until then,
Take good care!
