My Hero: Willie the Parrot

Willie

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love." ~ Mother Teresa

A change from the constant burdening of conscious minds with the daily occurences of our time is always welcomed. One such event that I read about is where a Quaker parrot named Willie was presented with an award for his role in saving a toddler from choking to death. The little girl, Hannah was eating her breakfast under the supervision of her baby sitter Megan. It was only when Megan left the room for mere seconds that little Hannah began to choke on her breakfast. It was Megan's parrot, Willie that quickly recognised something was definitely wrong with Hannah and began to screech ‘Mama, baby’ repeatedly whilst creating a scene by flapping his wings vigorously. Megan was able to reach in time to perform the Heimlich maneuver on Hannah who was by now already turning blue! A true hero I must say and we will continue to underestimate the intellect of the "lower animals".

“We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look."

(January 20, 1981) ~Ronald Reagan

Therefore I share this ray of sunshine with you all and hope the light spreads joy to all of you.

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On closing I would like to leave you all with a beautiful song that I am currently listening to non-stop. Entitled "Ya Babba" the song is sung in French and North-African Berber and it is addressed to "My Father". The song is about feeling lost and detached and needing to find back one's roots...one's heritage...my father you know what I feel in my heart and you understand better than anyone else what I'm going through.

The song is sung by Idir and Wallen, in Berber and French respectively.

Enjoy!!!


Ya Babba - Idir ft. Wallen

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common; this is my symphony.”
~ William Henry Channing (1810-1884), American Unitarian clergyman, writer and philosopher

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

[External Links: Parrot gets award for warning about choking tot]

Wishing YOU all the best

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

It seems that this month, my blog entries have been synonymous with family :). In keeping with the theme of the moment I dedicate this one to my dearest and closest cousin and friend...my one and only Sally :). Congratulations and I wish all the best for you and yours. May God be with you both throughout your days and keep you together always ameen. I came across a beautiful poem that I want to dedicate to you...

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"May you find serenity and tranquility
in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known
and the conflict you have experienced
give you the strength to walk through life
facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those
whose love and understanding will always be there,
even when you feel most alone.

May a kind word,
a reassuring touch,
and a warm smile
be yours every day of your life,
and may you give these gifts
as well as receive them.

May the teachings of those you admire
become part of you,
so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched
and who have touched yours
are always a part of you,
even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter
that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
but instead place immeasurable value
on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see beauty and love
in the world around you.

Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard
you may be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
may become one of your strengths in the future.
May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength
to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent
on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.”

Written by: Sandra Sturtz Hauss (English Poet)

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As you take one of the most significant and biggest step in your life, I want you to always remember I was there before and will be there for all times. Nothing has changed only evolved into greater fulfillment for you.

I will always love you :) xox <3

“Friends are angels who lift our feet when our own wings have trouble remembering how to fly.” ~ Author Unknown

Blogging with purpose,

Mariamlelue

For Mama

"The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

This one's dedicated to "Mom's the World"

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Poetry that was expressed,
Insight addressed,
Read what was written,
Comment if befitting,
Gratitude is what I offer to thee,
Penned by yours truly.
...


As My Mother’s Tears Fall

Life’s nourishment flowed in my vein,
Each day she endures all the pain,
Her health everyday deteriorating,
As the clock of nine months demands her waiting,
Youthful figure camouflaged with internal growth,
The mother and child a test of time for both,
The time nears and a fury of pain unleashed,
One foot in the grave, her Lord she beseeched,
Two weeks earlier than her due,
Contractions tormenting her body but still too few,
The last straw is drawn as they are forced to operate,
Her body paralyzed, unconscious to her fate,
Heartbeat fading, the child is taken from her mother’s womb,
Once a place of life now quickly transforming into her own tomb,
The child apart is now an individual in her own right,
As she is striped away from her mother’s sight,
A series of complications and a miscalculation,
The mother lies in a coma as the air fills in frustration,
The Doctors act quickly to regain her health fully,
Breathing relief as she recovers gradually,
Her child born in distress is monitored carefully,
Her mother could not sustain the miracle inside her; growing too rapidly,
Upon her small body marks of complications bear testimony,
With passing time, the mother grows anxious,
She grieves and pleads to hold her first daughter so precious,
The child placed on her chest finds peace at last,
Cuddled in the warm embrace erasing the pains of the past,
The strength and purity of this Love exceeds all,
Without words their hearts understand each other’s call,
In sickness and in health did she endure,
Now her child has blossomed into a flower,
A sole bread-winner, she toils daily,
As her partner is confined to his bed permanently,
Suffering hardships upon hardships, she braves the storm,
In my eyes, her enduring character the greatest form,
As her tears fall my heart breaks silently,
To protect her from the scars reassuringly,
To comfort her as she once did; in her arms I felt,
The love of a mother the highest form of wealth,
Connected I am to her as before she approaches I feel her presence,
Her every sacrifice a reflection of her true essence,
I wish her the best from the depths of my very existence,
From Allah I seek her repentance,
Appoint an Angel over her every minute,
Walahi my love for her is infinite,
Amongst your most beloved grant her permanent abode,
Make her resting place the best ever its beauty untold,
Ya Ummi, may Allah shroud you with His wings of Rahma,
May your face be shining with pure light in the Akhirah.
Ameen

[2007]


Happy Birthday Mummy!

may Allah bless you with beauty beyond blissful imagination in this life and more certainly and abundantly in the hereafter ameen ya Rab

"Life is the fruit she longs to hand you,
Ripe on a plate.
And while you live,
Relentlessly she understands you." ~Phyllis McGinley

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

Mother - Sami Yusuf

Family - "Blood is thicker than water"

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”
Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Monk, Activist and Writer. b.1926)

Is it coincidence that I should begin this post on family with a quote from a famous Vietnamese monk? Touché…My beginning words were originally, “To my delight, I found out just yesterday that I have many relatives living in Vietnam”. When I re-read what I just wrote, it just seems planned and might I add a bit corny. :) Leaving bygones to be bygones, I will now concentrate on what I wanted to say and digress no further.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the “differences” from one culture to a next. Important to note prior to reading this would be that I am of “mixed” ethnicity and thus my cultural lineage spans a vast diaspora. Therefore one can imagine how easily and quickly I became interested in various cultures around the world. It was only yesterday my Acha (eldest aunt), uncle, cousin and his family paid us an unexpected visit. It was more than a pleasant surprise and we welcomed them with warm hugs and spoke of the usual family topics that are associated with such “get-to-togethers”.
It was however slightly challenging at first to understand their English from a heavy Asian accent, but soon all of us were laughing and conversing as if we had never parted. I guess that’s what makes us family…

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”
Dr. Seuss (American Writer and Cartoonist best known for his collection of children's books. 1904-1991)

It was much later in the conversation, when they were updating us on all the other family members that we were told that we have many relatives in Vietnam…and to think I had limited my paternal lineage to China. The world suddenly seemed even smaller and the urge to travel the world was again rekindled. Honestly, it didn’t interest me as much to know about the ones in Australia, Europe or Canada. What gets me “fired up” is hearing about those that still live in culturally rich societies and carry on their lives in different ways to what we know and accept as normal.

Believe me, when I say it is always a great pleasure having family over especially when they bring with them the tales of civilisations and a people foreign to me yet inherent in me. It is almost synonymous to building the pieces of a puzzle together, as I seek to discover my true origins thousands of miles away from my ancestral heritage. To add to this nostalgic dilemma, I live in a small island in a cosmopolitan society which makes the prospect of travelling the seven seas all the more desirable. It is my dream one day to go on a journey of self discovery to which I earnestly look forward to.

For on my mother’s parentage there also lies a story to uncover. Afghan blood was dipped in the water of the Ganges, and so my lineage extends further into Asia. My identity has always been a cause for attention, sometimes innocent, sometimes discerning. Growing up there were conflicts of identity in my mind not based from my home I must say but from the time I started school it all began. In different societies they always had the tendency of addressing me as a “different” race to their own likewise with my siblings. It was evident that we, my brothers and I would never belong to one set race or be accepted into one. However conflicting it initially proved to be, my way of thinking gradually changed and I now view it as something of priceless value. I appreciate every feature of my face and identity as it contributes to who I am. As I continue on my path to discovery I share with you thoughts on what family means to me. It encompasses a lifetime of experiences that I want to dive into in order to feel the true worth of the blood that runs so freely in me.

It is not difficult to see I am indeed a “family” person. I sit here writing after I came from visiting an aunt who recently came back from visiting her sister; another aunt; in New York, and then checking in on my great grandmother who is still alive, at 97 years old, mashaAllah. Family for me makes the world go round and though we may not always see eye to eye, it is only natural to be inclined to affection for them.

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with family”
Anthony Brandt

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue