On my own...


Last night, while in bed, my thoughts wandered from one place to another and delved from one thing to another. I was mentally making a list of things that make me lucky to be alive. This is one of my favorite habits because thinking of all the things I should be thankful for would always make me really happy and want to do good and be/remain good. There are, of course, countless things to be thankful for. I never get to finish the “list”. I don’t think I ever will. Allahu akbar! (God is great!)

One of the things that never fails to put a smile on my face, no matter what situation I’m in, is my family. Every single time my family comes to mind, I’d always feel immense happiness and thankfulness for being a part of it. Studying in UP has kept me away from my family (for three years now), but they are the ones that keep me going. My dad visits me once a month and every time he has a case here in Metro Manila. Being away from my family proves to me their love and confidence/trust. Not all “young” Muslim girls are allowed to be away from their families without a “mahram” (a male family member as companion, i.e. brother, father, maternal uncle, and/or husband) or a guardian. Of course, I have two of my closest aunts here in Metro Manila, but I don’t see them as much as I want to because they both live in Manila (the city). So, most of the time I’m here on my own.

The independence that being away from home has afforded me is, to me, so invaluable in that I have learned so much from and by it. I believe it has transformed me into a stronger and better person. I’ve come to discover so much about myself. I’ve come to learn to do things and decide on matters on my own. The things that I’ve come to learn about life, people, the world, and myself are things that I couldn’t have learned in all the classrooms in the world. The very much sheltered and pampered life I had back home wouldn’t have made me learn or realize many things that I now know and understand.

And, for all these and so much more, I need to thank my family for trusting me enough and allowing me to experience and enjoy this independence. Above everything, I know that I owe all these to God Almighty. Alhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalamiina hamdan yuwaafi ni ‘aamahu yukaafi-u maziidah. (All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Universe, praise which will equal His blessings and suffice for His bounty.)


Comments

Rethabile said…
Hi there Babypink. I'm on holiday in Spain and will be back shortly. Cheers.
8/13/2004 12:14:00 AM
the caterpillar said…
those feelings you have about home and your independence... i can relate with them. =)
8/14/2004 05:42:00 PM
Anonymous said…
hi diane! all_kaput a.k.a. pia here...I can so relate with you kasi I'm totally on my own din! but my family's on the other side of the globe, so no visits for me :-(
8/16/2004 01:33:00 PM
BabyPink said…
caterpillar,
yeah, i bet you can...:)

all_kaput,
ok lang 'yan. you can look forward to visiting them naman.:)
8/18/2004 02:04:00 AM
No Milk Please said…
i really loved this post. your story is quite inspiring. one of the reasons i moved to chicago is to become more independent. i felt that i had held on to my mother's apron strings for too long. my parents could have prevented me from going, but they chose to let me go. i am eternally grateful to them for supporting me.
8/18/2004 03:44:00 AM
BabyPink said…
hi no milk. i am glad you like this post...:)

it's true most of the time, our parents do know what they're doing (especially for our sake). reminds me of the swedish saying "the afternoon knows what the morning never suspected."
8/18/2004 07:23:00 AM
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