A few years later… February 3rd, 2016 San Diego, California Ted Talk Conference: Ideas Worth Spreading [Applause] Zahra stood tall on the red-carpeted stage and said, “When I asked my sister-in-law about the upside of me being blind, she said, ‘I can now roll my eyes at you anytime I want…’ “ The audience laughed.
(Disclaimer: This article might not be suitable for readers under 16 as it includes some graphic descriptions.) “People on the street are scared of me,” Ali said, “I don’t blame them. I’m scared of me too.” “Is that why you’ve been refusing to see me? Did you think I’d be scared of you?” I
When Muslims lose someone dear to them, they almost automatically say: “…Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return” [Quran: Chapter 2, Verse 156]. But the truth is, death is something no one can really prepare you for. There is no ‘right’ way to make sense of it or deal with it after
Moving out of your parents’ house and going to university somewhere far away where you can have a fresh start is the most idealized dream of every senior in high school. It was mine, at least.
I’m not a writer or a psychologist or the ‘happy girl’ most people know me as. Today I’m just a defeated mother who is tired of pretending she’s strong enough to handle this challenge.
