An Even Newer Chapter

Earlier today, my son set off for his next chapter in life. He has found a new place of work and hence has had to leave home to be nearer to it. What has been home for him for the last ten years or so, is no more. This is a new phase not justContinue reading “An Even Newer Chapter”

A Gentle Exit from Ramadan

This year, Ramadan entered my home like a gentle breeze and soothed me into a state of submission and the desire to purge the excesses of life. The month has an ineffable ability to do that for Muslims all over the world. Even those who struggle to keep up the pace and follow their goodContinue reading “A Gentle Exit from Ramadan”

Hot Coals

As I continue to move through my latter life, I realise that I am surrounded by a lot of chaos and discord. This is playing out in the wider world and sometimes it feels even uncomfortably close to home. Whilst I can’t always take pre-emptive action against it, my coping strategy is to remain quietContinue reading “Hot Coals”

From Both Sides of the Fence

It’s almost ironic that over the last few days, I have been the confidante for someone close who shared with me that she is finally coming to terms with the impasse in her marriage and the need to call it a day. On the other hand, I’ve been dealing with people close to me whoContinue reading “From Both Sides of the Fence”

Soul-Searching in the Sahara

For so many reasons, 2025 was definitely the best year of my life. It had a lot to do with my travelling experiences to places I’d never been before – Prague, Shanghai, Switzerland and Austria to name a few. But it culminated in a charity mission in Southwest Algeria, to a refugee camp just outsideContinue reading “Soul-Searching in the Sahara”

Learning from Others’ Mistakes

When going through life, we inevitably come across encounters with others which cause us to reflect on our own lives. I’m no exception to that. Recently, I was engaged in a conversation with someone who was expressing their viewpoint about a sticky family situation. Whilst listening, I was coming in and out of focus andContinue reading “Learning from Others’ Mistakes”

Life in the Slow Lane

The first of many weekends which I have been waiting for with a deep anticipation… No commitments which involve constant clock watching and having to divide my day into fixed hours. Finally, I can be more fluid with activities in terms of no time restrictions. For observers on the outside, it may seem a trifleContinue reading “Life in the Slow Lane”

Hello Weekends

As I move through my life and so too, my latter years, I have made the decision to review my weekly routine. It was an inevitable decision that I knew I’d need to do one day. The surrender to work of what should have been my leisure time, was becoming more untenable with the passingContinue reading “Hello Weekends”

Lessons from My Mother

Looking back at my own mother’s life, I wonder about the parallels between mine and hers. In all honesty, the only thing we have in common is that we were both divorced in our 40s. Of course, we share other things in common given the common blood that runs in our veins. However, whereas myContinue reading “Lessons from My Mother”

Racing Against Time

When someone thinks of that slogan, they’d be forgiven for assuming it’s about all the things they need to accomplish before a certain deadline. That is absolutely true. However, the kind of goals that most people in today’s world are chasing after are those that only serve the physical self in this temporal existence, beContinue reading “Racing Against Time”