The kindness of "strangers"

A'salaamu alaikum ya'll. No this isn't the long-awaited post on plasmapharesis. Yes, I know you're super-sad. :-) This is about sisterhood.

So pretty masha'Allah! :-) My flowers from Sr. Jana.

Some of us, as converts, have experienced the warm fuzzies of such relationships at least early on in our journey. Unforunately many have not and my heart has always ached for them. I've just been blessed by the community I first converted in and even later, in MA, when I felt I didn't fit in as well, didn't belong, I was still able to find some like-minded and lovely sisters.

Today is in praise of sisterhood so no more nay-saying. Many of you all know Sr. Jana from her blog Solo Muslimah. Just last night I was reading a post of hers about some sadness she has in her life. I felt kind of unprepared, unsure what to say. I read the comment from Candice and it was so beautifully put I didn't add anything. I felt for her (unfortunately been there, done that) but I didn't comment. OK commenting is not mandatory but we are also friends on fb and I think she is an absolutely courageous and strong woman and I should have said so last night after reading her post.

I didn't, road not taken. Khalas.

So this morning I'm sitting here, feeling a bit sorry for myself (yes I do sometimes, I just don't publicize it). I was hot and itchy and tired. My body aches, I'm exhausted, I'm getting sick of my own company and I wanna go HOME. Yeah that kinda whinge-fest. ;-)

One of the volunteers comes to the door with a delivery. For me. Flowers. 3 beautiful pink roses with greenery and a ribbon. Also a card. Hmmm wonder who it's from???

Sr. Jana. Wow. Soooo let's recap. Last night I read her post and don't feel well-enough, mentally or physically to comment but afterwards felt guilty. I should have. This morning, even though her post last night was about enduring pain, I wake up to find beautiful flowers from her, my SISTER, whom I've never met in this life.

It' so humbling ya'll. This is how we MAKE sisterhood. It's by our choices. We can choose to go out of our way, give a smile, a friendly look, a hug, salaams. Or we can choose to, even without meaning to do so, withhold that gift of love and understanding.

So we all need to be aware, next time we aren't feelin' the love at our masjid, that it can start with ourselves and work down. :)

Sorry if this post isn't quite coherent; I took about a 3 hour break somewhere around "It's so humbling ya'll". I had sat up for an hour or so, typed, and I was literally drained. I am not asking for sympathy, rather for your understanding. :)

OK so part two of my post deals with a sweet young sister I met in MA at the Worcester Islamic Center. She is one of the cutest, most bubbly girls you would ever meet, Palestinian/American, passionate, and full of energy. I was blessed to meet her last Ramadhan there and we became friends on fb. I was gonna be her weight-loss coach (as I had helped A lose 40 lbs masha'allah) but then my life intervened, I moved away but we still stayed friends.

Btw, she's dropped like 40 pounds and looks awesome! Ya'll know I'm not all about looks here on UofA but feeling good about yourself, being healthy, and taking the best care of the body Allah has given us, those are important. I'm just so proud of her for sticking to her goals. :-)

OK so long story short, she had contacted my sister after I was hospitalized. She, too, sent me flowers, her well-wishes and dua, and also a box of chocolates. Healthy girl she is, wanted to send an Edible Arrangement (fresh fruit yum!) but she had missed their daily delivery. :-) It's ok, I always had a sweet to offer my visitors. :-)

Anyway she contacted me sister immediately and said if I were to need a kidney, or funds, or anything, to please contact her and and she was going to start a fund-raising drive. Masha'Allah. I just can't tell you the love and yes SISTERHOOD I felt from her offer. Which, now that I've been told work is a no-no, I might have to accept the sadaqa which is hard. Why do we, as Muslims, sincerely love to give sadaqa and zakaat but don't like to take it? Pride, I guess. Alhamdulillah.

So I'm feeling warm and fuzzy now ya'll. Well, not done yet, nope not in a looooong shot. A super-sweet (yes I keep saying it, get over it!) young sister, who also happens to be from MA but whom once again, I've never met in real life (a fellow blogger) offered me a kidney. Yep, straight up from her own body. She is young, a senior in college, and is on her way masha'Allah to divinity school. So yes some of you might know who I am speaking of but as she sent a private message I didn't want to embarass her. She didn't offer this for any kind of compensation, or for praise from me or anyone else.

She did it fi sabilillah. For a sister, yes a SISTER, she has never met. Subhanallah. So my close friends and family or even people who knows me in real life (eek I hate that term cause I'm the same here and there!) I can get. They know me, see my character, I've babysat their kids, gave thems salaams in the masjid, whatever. But this young sister, so very bright masha'Allah and so full of promise for her future and insha'Allah the wonderful things she is capable of doing for our ummah, has offered a tremendous gift.

I am humbled. I keep saying it but only because it's true. It's been hard these past 2 weeks, I had a couple of scary days, one of the biggest worryies being about Aaminah and her future, but through it all, I've had support, love, prayers, kind thoughts, and yes, actions. Intentions well-placed AND followed through.

Sisters, I know we get rewarded for our firm intentions, our good and pure niyyat to do a thing for Allah. But when we follow through, oh the reward for ourselves and to others, it's priceless. I hope I don't need a new kidney, I pray I get strong enough again to provide for me and Aaminah, I desperately pray to be well enough very soon to leave the hospital. However, knowing I have so many sisters (and yes, my non-Muslims friends and family too) who love me and care for me like this, well it's indescribable.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your kind words, your dua, your support. Thank you all for taking time to read my blog, it's surely helped with the cabin fever I've experienced here :) or the S.H.U. (secure housing unit) as Cap'n puts it.

May Allah swt bless you all and let us remember to always do good for HIS sake. Ma salaama ya'll.