That Beautiful Time of Year

It has surprisingly - touch wood - gone smoothly so far. It's funny, you can get away with just eating a bowl of cereal or a slice of toast at 1am and not feel hungry at all. And when the time does come to eat, it is an actual struggle to force food down. No, staying hungry is not the issue. It is the absolute highest degree of exhaustion you feel despite sleeping for a solid ten hours or so. I mean, it's obvious, little food = little energy, but it's like being trapped in an endless cycle of sleep deprivation and having every ounce of energy drained out of you. Despite that though, I'm finding it so much easier than last year! I remember last year, I was feeling the fasts big time. Like, I could feel actual hunger and I found myself counting down the last hour till I could eat. It was hard! Maybe it's because time drags more so over there, or because I was on my feet constantly, or because my eating habits completely changed, but boy am I so glad to be fasting in England again!

Putting that aside, it's wonderful to be experiencing the atmosphere and spiritual reawakening that accompanies this month. It's difficult to put into words how a time in which we all have a messed up sleep routine and food deprivation can make one feel so alive and re-connected with the core of our being. The almost automatic ability to leave the destructive distractions of the world and focus on strengthening oneself not just as a person, but also as a Muslim, is reviving. The chance to redirect our lost souls, re-establish religious discipline and refresh our lives is one we crave for the remaining eleven months. It's so easy to lose focus on what's most important in life, the core beliefs of our religion and the very reason of our existence that should be ingrained in our every thought. It's painfully easy to lose our grasp on the good habits and deeds that should be second nature to us and having 30 days in which to rebuild and start over, is a blessing that is unparalleled.

I've made goals that I hope and pray I not only accomplish in the next few weeks, but that I keep implemented in my life in the months and years that follow. I am however, not immune to the passing of time and so of course, I am still reading my way through a stack of books. I have a recommended Ramadan read that I will write a post on as soon as I complete it, and I also have a book review coming up of an absolute gem of a novel that I read about a month back (it took me that long to gather my thoughts and emotions regarding it but now that they are written down, I am so excited to share them!)

Meanwhile, wishing all of my celebrating followers a blessed month and praying it's going easy for you :) x