“You don’t love people because …”
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison shares a wisdom from his Mom, who passed away in 2020.
“Everything can be fixed”
A wisdom Munira learned from her teacher while creating leather artwork now guides the rest of her life.
“They never judge”
When Peter Sanders was a young boy, he used to make a frame using two fingers of each hand – so he could take away the clutter, and focus on what’s right in front of him.
Speak usefully
My father-in-law is a man of few words; but when he does speak, it always adds to the conversation, and people listen. Now I understand why.
Power of prayers
Today is my father-in-law’s 85th birthday. Happy Birthday Abbu! The milestone was an opportunity for Arif to share some reflections on his hero, and especially on the power of his dad’s prayers.
Show, not tell
Dr. Khala shared something that she learned from her father (my Nana) - that you’re more likely to do something by example than by someone telling you to do it.
All in the Family
One of the biggest blessings of living in the DC area is that it’s a ‘hub’ for our family; more than 30 family members live here. Whenever we get together, it’s a celebration
Of grandmothers and joy
Eboo has been a supporter of the 30 days 30 deeds blog from the first year it started, in 2011; that year he tweeted that it was his ‘personal favorite Ramadan website
Redefining Success
Tarek Elgawhary remembers a wisdom about success and failure that his teacher Dr. Ali Gomaa taught him when he was studying at Al-Azhar University.
Speak gently with yourself
“I’ve always been hard on myself, about my career or not reading enough or going to bed too late, I give myself such a hard time about so many things,
Remember this
Mami Jaan was 16 years old when she was selected for the Girl Scout Roundup, from Pakistan, and invited to attend the international gathering in Denver, CO.
The world as art
During the 30-minute car ride from my father’s Janaza (funeral) prayer to the cemetery where he would be buried, Saanya was busy writing in her journal in the back seat of the car.
Personal brand
Zayd and I were running errands to set up for a pre-prom photo opp with his friends at our house yesterday evening; just the two of us in the car, and no possible escape
Don't let them down
Principal Akbar Cook of West Side High in Newark, NJ is on a roll. Last year, he installed five washing machines and dryers in his school as a way to deal with faulty attendance
Imagine you can
Muddassar’s father died when he was 13 years old. “I don’t have that many clear memories of him,” Muddassar tells me at first, "such a traumatic loss messes with your memories
Making kindness a habit
Kazi Mannan grew up in poverty in a small village in Pakistan, without electricity or running water, one of ten kids. “Even when we were going through extreme poverty
Be strong and study
“We had a beautiful life, beautiful house, beautiful big family,” Noor tells me about her life in Syria. She, her husband and four daughters left Damascus in 2012 soon
More than half good
Shahidul and I were driving to the Al Jazeera studio for his interview with Mehdi Hasan, and it was the first quiet moment he’d had in his whirlwind 48 hour stop in Washington DC a month ago.
Share Cake
My father loved dessert, anything sweet and delicious brought him so much pleasure; I inherited his sweet tooth. Growing up, whenever there was an office birthday