June 04th, 2017

Ramadan Mubarak!

     For those of the Muslim faith, it is currently Ramadan.  By Wikipedia's definition, Ramadan is: "The ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief."         I have lived in Abu Dhabi now for 5 years.  For a few of those years, Ramadan fell in the middle of summer, so my family and I were not here. This year, though, it's falling at a time when we are able to experience it at it's fullest and I've had a chance to think about it more and the meanings behind it.
     Perhaps one of the things about Ramadan that I find to be the most interesting and weird and humbling is that it is a holiday that is not one that I grew up with, but is now the "status quo" in the place I currently call home.  Despite the fact that my kids go to an "American" school, they will not eat, drink, or even chew gum on campus, out of respect for their Muslim friends who are fasting. We will all be more conservative in how we dress, we will be aware of those less fortunate than us and do what we can to help them and we will be cognizant of the the language we use when speaking to others. Above all else, we will remember that this is a time to re-connect -  with family, with friends, and with God.      
     I wish all my Muslim friends Ramadan Mubarak.  And to my non-Muslim peeps out there - I hope we can all find something that resonates with us, something that brings us closer to our hearts and our faiths, no matter who we are or what journey we follow to get there.
     (Doesn't sound much different than other holidays we celebrate, does it?)