My life as a stay-at-home mother transformed when the pandemic lockdowns began in March 2020. What may have seemed like daunting days ahead full of cranky children, a messy house, and loneliness, turned out to be an unexpectedly joyous time.
Grandmothers are a blessing. Grammy, Meemaw, Nani/Dadi, Abuela, Bibi, or Babushka, come in all shapes and forms. They babysit for working parents, help new parents, and sometimes become sole providers for their grandchildren.
My mother didn’t like organized religion. She was raised a Catholic but as a young adult moved away from many things that were scripted by her religion and others. When I chose to convert to Islam, she struggled for a long time to understand my choice and support me in it.
Islam is the perfected way of life revealed to a perfected man so that he could deliver its message to a less-than-perfect world in need of divinely perfect guidance. Embedded within this guidance are descriptions of how we as worshippers of Allah can live our best lives.
Universally speaking, the words “strong women” somehow come across as a warning message for the masses and are viewed in a skeptical manner. As if a deliberate attempt is being made to undermine those in power by a unique force, i.e women.