Allergies
Every February I find myself with itchy eyes, non-stop sneezing, a scratchy throat, tight lungs and a little skin bubbling to boot. Allergies come early in Damascus. When I was …
Faith: An Inestimable Blessing
I was asked to meet a ‘revert’ the other day. In this case I mean an Arab born Muslim who had traveled to Canada, fallen into sin and denial, then …
Ten Million Salutations
Alhamdulillah! We Sent 10,414,223 Salawat! Rabi al-Awwal came and went, and we reached our ten million goal of salawat. There were days I wondered and worried, and days I fussed …
The Country Road
Ten years ago, I drove along a lengthy country path; on each side of me quaint squat homes surrounded by what looked to my American eyes like enlarged gardens, but …
Packing
One of the most difficult parts of traveling is packing. Once upon a time, international travel meant carrying two huge suitcases per person. So for each child I could fill …
Doctors and “Teachers”
After taking my mother and myself to countless doctor visits, the correlation between doctors and ‘teachers’ becomes palpable. At the doctor we get tested, pricked, stripped, weighed, measured and lectured. …
On the Mawlid: Rejoice!
The Earth held no prophet. Its people were lost in an utter darkness – no prophet, no current message, no light for souls seeking solace. The last prophet had lived …
Revert or Convert
Labeling tells us who we really are – and we describe ourselves in many ways. I am an American. I am a teacher. I am female. I am a doctor. …
My First Blog
When I was just beginning university, my parents gave me an Apple computer. It was a generous and – oh so modern – gift. Right around the time that internet …
