Author: ohlala80

“Je vois la vie en rose.” Faith, Love and Gratitude are all I see and all I believe.

This is 45

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

45th Birthday; 16 April 2025 💫

I honor myself and every unique quality I’ve attained throughout the years

I honor the woman I was who smiled through the tears

I honor the woman I became who cheered herself on

When no one was looking I prayed from midnight to dawn

The one who dared to remain soft, to rise again and to love unconditionally

The one who was always hopeful looking for meaning quite intently

For she knew there was a merciful lord above

A lord who cared who was certainly full of love

To the mother, the daughter and the wife who continues to give

Today I honor myself and the growth that makes me continue to forgive

Today I choose me and I thank myself for persevering

For choosing to have faith and to continue believing

For all the parts of me sometimes imperfect and sometimes bold

For believing that there is light and beauty where love beholds

This post is for the courage, for the healing, for the unseen journeys no one witnessed but me

Happy birthday to the woman I am grateful for—yesterday, today, and for eternity ♥️✨

Ramadan Coming To An End

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

As inevitable as it is, here we are at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It seems like only yesterday we welcomed Ramadan and had our bodies prepared for fasting and praying and reciting of the holy Quran. My how time flies… A yearly practice I make is I ask myself whether I really dedicated the month of Ramadan to my faith? Did we strive to be better believers? Better Muslims? Ramadan is not just about abstaining from food from sunrise to sunset, it’s also about abstaining from unhealthy habits, from our procrastination, from our self sabotage, from gossip, from deception in every from. Ramadan is a chance for purification of the soul and supplication to God. A true promise from God to grant redemption to all sins. So did we seize this lifetime opportunity? Did we do better and do we have the discipline to continue doing better after the month ends? Ramadan for me is like a new update of our souls, a restart to our systems a refresher of our very essence. My intention is to continue this dedication that I dedicated to my faith in Ramadan, to continue with the practices of my faith, to continue being a better version of myself through faith and action. Wishing you all a pleasant end to this holy month and wishing you an early Eid Mubarak. It always saddens me a bit saying farewell to this sacred month, the month where you see Islam everywhere, in people and in situations and in life, however this time I will take Ramadan with me in my heart and in my actions. I pray that God gives us another chance to experience Ramadan again for many years to come. May we all receive absolution from our sins and purification to our souls.

Reminiscent

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

At the end of last month I said goodbye to my old house a house that was home to me for the past nineteen years. It was a bitter sweet goodbye… I watched my children grow up to their teens in that house… several birthday candles were blown there… I hosted countless gatherings and occasions there; Ramadans, new years, Eids. That house as small as it was was our shelter during the pandemic… it was our safe space when we felt troubled and it was our keeper during the tough times but as with everything else in life it was time to say goodbye…

Also within the past month I lost something so dear to me the pain is still so raw. I lost my baby Bella. Everyone who knows me knows my cat Bella was my baby. She was my baby for 7 years bringing me so much joy. Upon moving within the first week Bella who was a strictly indoor cat ran out of the house and tragically got hit by a car. I received the dreaded phone call late at night and I mourn her loss to this day. She truly was the perfect companion… I pray that we shall meet again in heaven.

Something I’m looking forwards to is the upcoming month of Ramadan. Ramadan is my favorite month of the year. It is the month of blessings through discipline. It is the month of the Quran the month that re-boots the entire year cleansing it with its divine power. As we fast and pray and gather during sunset for Iftar let’s pray that the month cleanses us of our sins, let’s pray that we overcome our shortcoming especially when it comes to our faith and become more faithful and devoted individuals. Let’s pray for world peace and let’s be the change we want to see in the world. Let us take Ramadan with us to the rest of the year reminding us of our faith and devotion in front of temptation. And with that I end my February entry. Ramadan Mubarak everyone. May we meet only in good times and may we continue to strive to be better and do better.

Happy New Year 2025! 🎉

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

As we part with the past year and welcome the new one I can’t help but realize how much faster each year goes compared to the one before… it worries me how time flies and it also reminds me to seize every moment and savor every experience before it too becomes something of the past. We’ve aged, we’ve cried, we’ve laughed and we’ve formed lasting memories all in a blink of an eye. With every year we are blessed with the opportunity to make new amends and learn from prior experiences. I read somewhere that the good news is nothing lasts forever and the bad news is nothing lasts forever and so do the years… we will never be this age before or have this moment again so let’s be more mindful of the present making the most of it and let’s be more optimistic of the future with whatever it holds.

As we welcome the new year I take this opportunity to thank those chosen friends who healed hearts they didn’t break. To the friends who listened to me as I repeated the same story over and over again. To the friend and family member who encouraged me and believed in me when I found it hard to believe in myself. To those who gave me inspiration and helped me find my passions in life.

To those whose 2024 wasn’t as glamorous enough or post worthy enough, whose 2024 was about healing and survival rather than celebrations and innovations, the fact that you made it another year is celebration enough. Celebrate yourself you are enough.

Happy New Year everybody and may you enjoy it fully emerging yourself in every new experience! 🎉 🎊 🎇

Vulnerability, Strength or Weakness?

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

What is vulnerability and is it a sign of strength or weakness? Vulnerability to me is the ability to reveal or share parts of ourselves that may lead to judgement directly impacting our sense of being. For many, showing ones vulnerability may be perceived as a sign of weakness however the intent on showing ones vulnerability in itself, in my opinion, is the greatest form of strength. Vulnerability is a form of sharing, bonding and mutual understanding, the experience of exposing and experiencing those very sensitive parts of ourselves and to be willingly open to judgement or criticism requires great strength.

Being vulnerable with your loved ones opens opportunities for communication, bonding and acceptance. Vulnerability isn’t just about sharing your emotions. It’s about sharing what’s deep within, even at the risk of being rejected. Vulnerability is something we tend to ignore in our day-to-day life, however, without it, we miss the core to our being. We miss our authenticity.

Vulnerability doesn’t only center upon feelings and emotions it is also about sharing achievements, milestones and experiences. To be brave enough to take that fist step wether it is in your career or in an important life decision, to share your accomplishments and be open to criticism. Vulnerablility strengthens us as human beings as it makes us authentic sharing parts of ourselves and our lives that might feel too delicate to share.

Just like a job, a test or an achievement it’s not always going to be easy. Sometimes one worries that exposing our vulnerabilities may be used against us, that we will not be loved the way we want to be loved if we were authentic, however it requires confidence and a strong belief in yourself to share your vulnerability.

In today’s society we are conditioned to mask what may be  perceived as weaknesses, however, these weaknesses, such as fears, our dreams and aspirations are the essence to our being. A lot of people today are hiding behind that mask, afraid of revealing who they truly are. Social media, job titles, statuses are all masks we tend to hide behind to mask our vulnerability. Sharing this post is a an act of vulnerability. How my posts are regarded and perceived is a form of vulnerability. You must be brave enough to take that first step towards vulnerability or forever remain confined in the same dilemma of living an inauthentic life.

Measuring Happiness

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

In our consumer driven, material pursuing world we are mislead into believing that success is measured by our career, wealth and social status. With time and since we were hit with covid I’ve come to realize that true success is measured by having faith, health, self acceptance, family bonds, friendships and the ability to enjoy the present. If careers were a measure of success then CEO’s would be amongst the happiest of people yet most times they are the most stressed. Often times in their quest to reach the top of their career ladders, they sacrifice their connections with their families and friends and are amongst the loneliest of people. If wealth was a measure of success then the wealthiest people would be the the most content but more often than not they’re the ones who suffer addictions and depression and are taken advantage of. If social status was a measure of success then presidents would be able to roam around their countries freely without worrying about their safety however wherever they go they are surrounded by guards and security and are abided by protocol and politics.

Sometimes it is the people with the simplest lives who are the happiest. People who have made the conscious effort to live in the present moment and enjoy it fully without worrying about the past or the future. Simple lives lived in nature using your hands to build things and make things and to cook your own food can bring true happiness. In a book I read called Ikigai a study was conduced on a large group of Japanese people who lived to be over 100 years old and still maintained good health showed that those people have lived a simple life full of purpose. They grew their own crops, tended their own gardens, sowed their own clothes and commuted by bikes or on foot to work regardless of how old they were. They were constantly moving and constantly creating with pleasure. Their sense of purpose was derived from doing most of their daily chores themselves regardless of how old they were. They led simple lives yet they lived it with joy excelling at whatever simple task they did wether it was cooking or farming or sewing.

So what if true success isn’t about how much money you make or what your position is in your career. What if it’s about the meaningful connections you make with others, how you care for yourself, the healthy food you intake and the choices you make to wake up every morning with gratitude doing what you do in life well and with pleasure. To live in the present moment and to realize that true happiness truly comes easier than you think from the simplest things in life… For me this was a true awakening.

Depression And The Modern World

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

This month I talk about a matter that I see as a pandemic in the world today. This month I tackle a subject that I’ve been wondering about and struggling with for a long time. This entry is about the subject of depression. I want to talk about depression because I’ve noticed a rise in the condition in the world today. One would think that with all the technological advancements and urbanized modern day living, life would be easier and people would be happier but that is not the case. In this entry I focus on nourishment, urbanized living and social media as the leading causes of depression.

If we look at the past, people lived with less processed food and more natural produce. Eating was cleaner and men and women hunted and gathered their nourishment themselves rather than bought store preserved products. Food today is genetically modified, chemically preserved and lack the nutrients needed for our health. Today as well, populations are increasingly overfed, malnourished, inactive, sleep deprived, socially isolated and sunlight-deficient. Today urbanized living and lack of proper nourishment are a leading cause of depression.

There seems to be a correlation between modern urbanization and depression. Rural inhabitants exhibit less symptoms of depression perhaps due to their simpler lifestyles. Rural areas are marked by their tranquility, open spaces, and closeness to nature. Natural beauty and peace prevail in rural areas and living there offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is also more affordable living in rural areas which offers more financial flexibility as opposed to the higher cost of living in the city. Living in the city requires a higher income to sustain an adequate lifestyle which is a huge form of stress that can lead to depression.

Thirdly today, social media is a leading contributor to depression. Social media has made life about the individual rather than the collective. We as humans are meant to live as clans and tribes supporting each other and working as a collective. Social media on the other hand has unequivocally made people focus on themselves and themselves alone. The platforms are designed to be addictive and popularity is misconstrued by being measured by the number of views and likes one gets per post. Today success is measured by who’s food recipe got the most feedback and who’s new vacation got the most comments and who’s post got the most likes and who has the most followers. Social media despite having some pros has unquestionably led to narcissism. Today validation is seeked over the internet as opposed to real life meaningful connections. The term Fomo emerges; “Fear of missing out” one fears that if they do not engage in social media as others do that they’ll miss out on connections, trends, news and much more, leading to more fear and anxiety and eventually depression. One of the primary ways social media contributes to depression is through social comparison. Users often compare their lives to the thought-out representations of others that they encounter online. We need to take a step back and look at the effect technology has on our society in terms of people needing instant gratification by indulging in social media rather than interacting with the real community. Children and teens especially are losing the social skills required to create meaningful true relationships with others as they are constantly receiving the false dopamine hit engaging online.

May we educate ourselves and become better observers to these factors that are contributing to the rise of depression in our world today. Eating nutritiously, living a simpler life, and disengaging from social media may create a drastic positive impact on our mental healths. A small ripple of change can offer great rewards.

Happy Emirati Women’s Day

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

As my nation celebrates its women and recognizes them as a vital component of society today, I would like to extend my sincere wishes to all women out there. From mothers and educators to business women big and small you mean something to this nation, you matter and your contributions shall not go unnoticed. Women are the pillars of their households and the pedestals to their families. Wether you’re a mother, an aunt a daughter or a sister your presence and your efforts are recognized. Today the country acknowledges you and celebrates all your efforts in contributing to this nation. Women and men are not equal, women and men are different and their gender roles are different as well. It is heinous to presume that women can do all that men do for as this quote indicates, “Women don’t do what men do, women do what men can’t do,” Each has their own unique qualities that complete one another it is not a competition it is a collaboration. So happy Emirati Women’s Day to me, you and every Emirati women out there!

To My Shining Star

Published on by ohlala80Leave a comment

From the day you were born I knew you were special. We named you Noora and just like the meaning of your name you were always “Noor” which means light, shining and lighting up every room by your presence. A much sought out baby your big grey eyes searched mine intently as you wiggled and kicked in my arms full of life.

As the years went by I watched you grow into the beautiful young lady you are today. Sixteen years just flew buy… too quickly… too fast… Looking back I covet the beautiful memories we shared, the songs we created and the poems and the games we played. You aced school and was always the star of the class. At the young age of eleven we discovered your talent in crocheting and you created your very first crochet bunny all on your own. And then at the age of twelve you excelled in horse riding even when you had a serious accident falling head first off the horse, as soon as your condition permitted you were back on the horse determined to ride again full of bravery. You always persevered, never giving up. I am in awe at your strength. While most girls your age followed tick tock or spent hours on makeup tutorials, you were always learning and always creating charming things such as your picturesque artwork, your delightful handmade creations, your fascinating crafts and much more.

You’re a loyal friend and a good influence on those around you. Not only friends seek you but parents as well long for you to befriend their daughters. Noora you are a star, a light from God. You attract people and goodness wherever you are. So happy sweet 16 my love. May you continue to shine bright in every way I have no doubt that amazing things are in store for you as you continue to dazzle everyone by your greatness.