Angelina

It was only when I turned 40 did I truly appreciate and value the unique and individual hand each member of my village played in raising me. It is my greatest strength. I thank with all my heart the bountiful and gracious lord for the intricately woven path that has lead me to a place of peace. I shudder to think of the alternative. 

Happiness can be found in both external and internal stimuli. When the external stimuli of the material world ends, so does the happiness. But if the stimuli to happiness is found within the soul, then this happiness will endure the most grueling of struggles.

I once counted the years in certifications, academic credentials, jobs, and places I lived. Now the years were marked by the birth of my kids and their developmental milestones.

If your children develop fast breathing or trouble breathing, bluish-gray skin color, refusal to drink enough fluids, severe vomiting, lethargy, or recurring fever with rash, take them to the emergency room.

I returned to the park many times with my kids over the past year, eyes searching the crowds of kids climbing, running, and sliding with parents hovering close by. But he and his children have never been there since. How can one person, who I had never met before, nor spoken a word to, leave such a long-lasting impression that shaped my outlook ever since?

In professional circles and in society, I was prepared to deal with the divisive, hateful rhetoric I would face for choosing to wear purdah, but what I wasn’t prepared for was the fallout of my decision, the negative impact on my children. I was swimming in my own thoughts on that meet-the-teacher Monday and frankly quite startled when someone said to me, “ Hi. My name is Mary.”