ramadan mubarak!
on my mind
ramadan seems to always sneak up on me but it ends up coming right when i need it the most. this weekend gave me a chance to ease into fasting and get my life together with groceries, cleaning and attempting to schedule all my iftars and commitments over the month. i got a killer headache yesterday in the afternoon, which may be from caffeine withdrawal, so i’m going to try and drink coffee before i start my fast and hope i can still manage to go back to sleep after.
this year, i’ll be hosting weekly creative iftars every saturday. it’s been three years since i’ve done this, so i’m excited/nervous to be social again. i’ve been missing community for so long and it looks like we’re finally beginning to build that back up again. this will be an opportunity to feel rooted again, reconnect with old friends and meet new people.
a third pandemic ramadan doesn’t have the same emotional uncertainty or idealism that it did in 2020 and 2021. i’m still searching for what my feelings are about this month and how i plan to approach it differently. the pandemic forced me to take better care of myself, to slow down and be in the moment. ramadan takes that even further with the discipline of not eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.
i’m looking forward to having a specific purpose for the next month after feeling aimless and burned out for the last few months. for the first time, i plan to be physically active and work out during ramadan so i don’t lose my momentum from the last month. i appreciate any tips from people who continue to work out during ramadan, because i’m lost lol
it will be hard of course—i am not one to lie about the challenges, but every year, it is truly amazing to see what our minds and bodies are capable of. the vulnerability that comes from that deprivation magnifies all my other senses and makes me reflect on how i can be a better person in every aspect.
to all of you observing ramadan this year, i wish you a beautiful and blessed month! please remember to be kind to yourself and to not compare your experience to anyone else’s.
also! april is national poetry month, so my 30 days of daily poem series is back on, if you’d like to follow along on instagram. let me know if you’re writing as well :)
what i’m noting
Donate: Support Families in Somaliland (read more about the impact of the devastating fire in Hargeisa here)
Read: All Cats Are Muslim
Read: The Good Life | a new newsletter by my brilliant friend Makkah on topics like “How to Make Friends and Keep Them Close” and “I'm here to tell you that it's okay to make money.”
Eat: Currently obsessed with these easy, flavorful recipes (including special Ramadan ones) by Moriyban, Lahb.co, and Zaynab Issa
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— Nesima