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Cindy Ritter Digital Designs - Word Art for May 2025 Challenge, A time to heal kit
JB Designs by Dani - Nature Heals bundle

LJD - Edge it 8, #5 & #4

Journaling:
During Ramadaan, we fast from sunrise to sunset as prescribed by Islam. This gives our body time to heal and teaches us to have compassion and empathy for those in need. Instead of focusing on food, we focus on our spiritual growth, building good habits and ridding ourselves of bad habits that may have crept in over the year.

We usually break our fast with a date, water and then some soup and whatever sweet or savoury treats are on the table. This Ramadaan however, I was recovering from colon cancer and 4 months post op from a right hemicolectomy, so wasn't able to do and prepare everything I usually would. We kept things simple. I would make a pot of soup often. Omar had bought us our first instant pot the year before and it was such a blessing this year as it was my go-to for making soup quickly and easily. With Saru's help, I would prep as much of the veg as possible ahead of time & keep them ready in the freezer. While I would also try to cook something quick and easy to break our fast with, there were plenty of times where Omar was phenomenally understanding, and would order in.

Omar's sister and her family were going through a rough patch and I was doing well, so we invited them over for boeka 2 days before Eid. Somehow that boeka snowballed to include Omar's brother and his wife (they live in the next road), as well as their parents (Mitchells Plain).

Where any other time I would have stressed terribly about perfection, and spent all day cooking up a storm, this time we kept it easy. Omar bought 3 chicken dhal, 3 butter chicken, 2 beef korma, several garlic naan and aloo paratha from Saleh's BBQ, I ordered falooda from a neighbour and we had samoosas, dates and cooldrink. I think we also bought some cake on our way home. Alhamdulillaah, there was plenty of food and everyone was able to go home with some too.

Aniesah and her kids were such wonderful helpers, and took over when I couldn't any more. While I was still knackered the evening, I was so glad we did it. It reminded me that we don't need perfection to get together and make memories. I had such fun with the kids that I was the one to suggest they all join us for Eid lunch too - LOL

For that I did cook - but this time it was Omar who helped me in the kitchen. This was the first time he ever helped me with the leg of lamb, and he even cubed the last 2 chicken fillets for butter chicken when I couldn't any more. It really was a memorable Ramadaan and Eid, and a reminder of another Eid where we truly learned the true meaning of Eid and the beauty of "Living Simply", Living Spiritually. Eid-ul Adha, 2009 - We were on hajj (Makkah, Saudi Arabia). It was an Eid where we prepared nothing for our stomachs and everything for our souls.

In fact, I don't think it hit us it was Eid morning, until a sms came through from South Africa to wish us as we crossed the mataaf, exhausted. We didn't dress up for the Jumuah prayers or even for Eid. We had the most appreciated shower ever. We bought fruit across the road at a little shop for breakfast, and lunch was some leftover instant noodles and tuna packs we found in a drawer I shared with my roomies. And then we slept! Before walking back from Azizia to our tents in Mina.