-
Laughter, Lunch, and the Last Hour of Jumu’ah
Yesterday was one of those days that left me physically tired but emotionally full. The gathering began at 3 p.m. on a Friday. To be honest, I wasn’t in the best place emotionally before everyone arrived. There were things weighing on my heart, and for a moment I wondered whether I would have the energy to host at all. To make matters worse, my Temu order hadn’t arrived in time. The decorations I had planned weren’t there, and some of the games I’d prepared had to be skipped altogether. A few years ago, I probably would have felt disappointed. Yesterday, I learned that none of it really mattered. Because the…
-
The Lunch That Lasted Until 10:00
Yesterday, something shifted. It started as a simple suggestion—a meeting for inspiring ladies near my house in Sharjah. SubhanAllah, it blew up. Suddenly, thirty women were gathered at Sadaf Restaurant, sharing a meal and a space that we all desperately needed. We ate (the food was incredible—I finally learned that Barberries are their own tiny, tart magic on rice!), but more importantly, we exhaled. Finding the “Me” in the Middle of “Them” As expat women in a faraway land, it is so easy to lose yourself. We talked about the struggle of being “just” a mom, “just” a wife, “just” a daughter. For a long time, I’ve struggled with the…
