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© Atonement
A poem by Dahlia Ibrahim From Mothers To Their Children My beloved ones,If you ever wonder how I carriedthe weight of days that bent my backor the … © Atonement Continue reading
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Meethas (Sweetness)
My mother had a unique meethi awaaz (sweet voice). It goes beyond the sound itself as it was a blend of her ever-smiling face, gentle tone, soft-spokenness, sincerity, politeness, loving personality and manner of speaking, regardless of the circumstance. In South Asian cultures, having a meethi awaaz is considered a high virtue and sign of Continue reading
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A Conversation Across Worlds: Surah Al-Fatiha
They say time heals, but three years in, I’ve realized it just teaches you how to breathe around the wound. By slowing down my recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha, I’m finding a way to bridge the gap between my world and hers, one verse at a time. Continue reading
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The Etymology of Love — Ammi
There are words we speak with our throats and there are words we speak with our souls. Losing my mother is a heartbreak that has changed the very syntax of my life. In the silence she left behind, I have found myself reflecting not just on who she was, but today, on the names I Continue reading
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3 years x ♾️
Once again, the Gregorian calendar sets us on the path of a new year every January. A time that brings a renewed strength, resolve and excitement of possibilities that may lie ahead for many, but for the past two years, January brings a dread and sinking of my soul over and again. This January was Continue reading
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The Quiet Niche
My mother was very intentional and thoughtful of the words she uttered. I wonder the thought she had behind her Urdu newsletter for which this platform is named – Jharoka. I believe she chose it as a place of quiet observation. It allowed her to see the beauty in the mundane and the Divine in Continue reading
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A Hearfelt Dua for my Mother
Three years ago today, I was living a blissful existence, not knowing that my life’s trajectory would be jolted from its axis in less than two weeks, when my mother would finish her journey in this worldly life and enter the eternal one. From that day forward, my view of life has changed drastically. Like Continue reading
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Hands
As I often do, I scroll for hours looking at pictures of my mother in my camera roll. I don’t know if it makes me miss her more or if it provides solace but I suspect it’s a bit of both. In honing in on her hands, each and every line is etched with a Continue reading
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1963 – The beginnings of a family
It was 62 years ago today that the union that formed a family of five began. In those days, arranged marriages were the norm and my parents marriage was no different. My parents met on their wedding day. And that’s when their story began. I have heard stories about my parents’ marriage likened to a Continue reading
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The passing of the baton
It was 26 January 2023 at 17:25 that I unknowingly took the baton from my Mother in the seemingly endless relay race of life. I’ve heard people say and have read that with the passage of time, the intensity of grief reduces as one adapts with the loss. I humbly disagree. So far, it seems Continue reading
About Me
I’m an ordinary but deeply spiritual person. I try to be devoted to the many roles in life I have been blessed with. I love my tight circle of family and friends, laughing, traveling, photography, technology, pomegranates and cats.
Jharoka 