30 Days started as a blog more than ten years ago to share the essence of the month of Ramadan with my family and community. It has grown into an international storytelling platform that connects people from different backgrounds around themes that we can all relate to—expressing gratitude, doing good deeds, preserving traditions, cherishing wisdoms from our elders, and more.

This book has been a labor of love, and each aspect of putting it together has a story behind it, which makes it truly unique. The blog on which it is based is a chronicle of the personal stories of many; the way it grew organically and connected an international audience is a testament to the power of our stories. 

Meeting Afghan artist Sughra Hussainy and hearing her story—how she was invited to exhibit her exquisite artwork at the Smithsonian’s Freer/Sackler Gallery, but as a result of her success couldn’t return to Kabul due to Taliban threats and is seeking asylum in this country—couldn’t have been a coincidence. Being able to support her artistic endeavors through this project is an important part of this book’s story. Sughra created the beautiful original illuminations, miniature paintings, and calligraphy in this book—making the paper by layering sheets together with a flour paste, crushing gemstones to create the vibrant paint colors, painstakingly painting with a brush made of cat hair, over years. I think we were destined to meet and create something beautiful in the midst of a pandemic.

The book was designed and produced by a media organization in Dhaka, Bangladesh whose driving force is challenging social inequality and ensuring that people have the opportunity to tell their own narratives. Championing their efforts is part of this book’s story too. Only a few hundred books are available—a collector’s edition—and each one is bound by hand, tying these layers of stories together with care.

At the back of each book you’ll find a small gift—a set of postcards. The idea is to send a note to someone you’d like to get to know; or jot down your special memories for safekeeping. If you feel comfortable, take a picture and send them to me too (salmahasanali@yahoo.com). 

This beautifully handcrafted work of art and stories is my invitation to you—to have conversations around these topics with your families and neighbors, and with people who at first may seem different from you. It’s our personal stories after all—our ordinary, unique, messy, genuine stories—that help us get to know each other better. Today, this sense of connection is more important than ever.

I hope you’ll feel inspired to share your stories too. I look forward to getting to know you.

To learn more about the 30 Days Journal, where you can capture your own stories of gratitude, traditions, and wisdoms, please visit the Journal page.