My Little Ramazan - Day Twenty Eight

Tues 7th September 2010

Today saw witness to a momentous occasion. The last Parent and Toddler session I will ever have to endure devoid of caffeine and sugar. Yes, that’s right. Next time I step foot through that community centre door, I will be partaking in the God-given right I was awarded when I became a parent: coffee and biscuits. One of the mums actually said she felt sorry for me today. She felt genuine pity for me. Does that not tell you the great magnitude with which parents value their cuppa? I pointed out to the mum that she didn’t need to waste her pity on me. This was, after all, my decision and therefore I pretty much deserved all I got. Harsh but true.

So, as far as I am aware, and as far as Mustafa and I can make out by consulting the Islamic calendar, this is the penultimate day in my Ramazan challenge. On Thursday, or actually Wednesday night, I will be a free, free woman. So, what will I do with my new-found freedom? Here’s the top ten of instinctive thoughts on this topic:

1.) Eat with my son again.
2.) Go out for a meal with my husband.
3.) Have something breakfasty.
4.) Meet up with some mums and savour every sip of coffee, every crumb of cake.
5.) Get through a whole day without a nap (today I napped with Baran on the sofa in front of a DVD. Sweet.).
6.) Bake some gorgeous sweet stuff for the celebratory festival of Bayram.
7.) Shake my ass at Zumba again.
8.) Clench it at a yoga class.
9.) Not weigh myself for at least three months
10.) Stop writing daily blogs (until I think of something else to write about).

That should keep me going for the time being.

I will also buy a copy of the Highland News on Thursday so I can witness my very own launch to star-studded fame. Should probably warn Mustafa about the likelihood of persistent calls from Brad. It could get quite annoying.

Furthermore, I will complete my reading of ‘The Koran For Dummies’ which is, as it happens, absolutely fascinating. I’ve managed to make it to page seventy four, and there’s still another two hundred and eighty six to go, but I reckon I can do it. So far I’ve learned about the revelations given to Muhammad, the structure and language of the book, experiencing the Koran as a divine art and comparisons to the Bible and the Torah. My favourite passage of the book describes the fasting ritual like this: ‘The entire month . . . trains the human soul in self control so that the pure heart that advocates patience and righteousness rises above the ego . . . that calls the soul towards anger, violence, revenge, and other self destructive acts.’
Well, let’s see. Self control: check. Patience: check. Pure heart: questionable. Rising above the ego: perhaps there’s still some work to do there. Oh well, whoever my God is, whatever power has guided me through this entirely bizarre experience, I’m sure they’re well chuffed that I’ve even given it a go. I know I am.