Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Joy to the World! Despite the Headlines


Well it's been a terrible week in the news, with psychos calling themselves Muslims committing heinous acts in India, Pakistan and God only knows where else.  It's been a week I want to forget, as I walk around constantly conscious of my headscarf and clothes.  Only when I've been able to sit and contemplate the truth of my faith am I able to reclaim my identity, proudly, as a Muslim.  I know who I am, I just need some reassurance sometimes that I'm not the only Muslim out there who still believes in love and respect.  Oh, sure-- there's about a billion others out there, but it is all too easy to feel alone unless I actually pick up the phone and do some networking.
Trumping all of the ugly stuff, however, is the joyous arrival of Baby Grace!  My dear friends have been waiting for nearly three years to adopt and finally their dreams have come--suddenly-- true!  I can't wait to meet all five pounds of her, as if I can't quite believe the miracle until I see her.  Magically, the woes of the world seem to melt away with just this one, beautiful birth.  Welcome, Gracie, I am honored to be your Auntie!  Welcome, also Baby Violet, who I met tonight at a week and a half old!  What a good reminder of how small and vulnerable and innocent we are as we come to this Earth.  Can we project that natural lovingkindness that babies elicit from us outward into our communities?  God bless the babies and their mommies, please, tonight.  Above, my own newborn babe, over three years ago-- did she really start out so little?

1 comment:

Ginger said...

Here from the AAI list. Congrats to your friends...I'm sure (despite the pain of such a long wait) they will now happily feel she was worth the wait!
It really is awful what radical extremists have done/are doing supposedly in the name of "faith"...I think its so important for people like yourselves to remain visible and speak the truth of what your faith professes to remind the rest of us of those truths (because if all we see/hear is from the media, then its easy to start believing that the minority is in fact the majority).
And I think it is awesome that you are adopting because from what I understand its not too common in the Muslim faith and yet, in places like Ethiopia, there are Muslim children in need of homes who I'm sure pray for a family that shares their faith (or their birth family prays for/requests that).