This article was inspired by a message I saw somewhere wishing a happy Independence Day for America and hoping the same for Palestine.
This is a poem about the Palestinian struggle I’ve always memorized since I was a little boy. As I grew older, however, I found out that it applies to any struggle. Loosely translated (words written with such eloquence can never be properly translated), “That’s the destiny of man, to drink the bitter and the nasty; but so long as blood goes through his vein, he will always continue to learn. He who battles the high waves will ultimately make it to shore, and a breeze can turn into a hurricane, and night is always followed by day.”.
The poem is written in colloquial Arabic, which makes its appeal even more stunning. It is easy to express one’s self in an intellectual way, but to be able to convey such powerful ideas into words that can be understood even by the most illiterate is a powerful and rare ability. I hope you enjoy it.
هذا هو قدر الإنسان, يتجرّع مرّ وعلقم
قدّ ما يخفق هالشريان, الإنسان بيتعلم
وِالّي يصارع هالتيّار, أخرته بيرس عالبَرّ
والنسمة تولّد إعصار, والعتمة بيعقبها الفجر
About Me
- Zuhair Mahd
- Vancouver, Washington, United States
- Click here To read a short biography of myself.
Showing posts with label Inspirational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspirational. Show all posts
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
A MIRACLE
A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to the neighborhood Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy talking to another person at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! "And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply tohis question. "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle.""I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?""We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?" " I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."" How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago. "One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.""Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said, "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. That surgery," her Mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?"Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents .... plus the faith of a little child. In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Inspiration: never hold back saying "I love you"
Being A Mother:
After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you." The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's wrong, are you well?" she asked. My mother is the type of Woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. "I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting"
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor, "I responded".
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation-nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed. "How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice, much more so than I could have imagined," I answered. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.
Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU", and what it means to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time".
Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.... Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.
Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct... Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.
Somebody said being a mother is boring... Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a learner's permit.
Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good"... Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices... Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a ball through the neighbour's kitchen window.
Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother... Somebody never helped a fourth grader with his maths.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first... Somebody doesn't have two children.
Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child- rearing questions in the books... Somebody never had a child stuff sultanas up his nose or in his ears.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labour and delivery... Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten ... or on a plane headed for military training camp.
Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back... Somebody never organized seven giggling Girl Guides to sell biscuits.
Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married... Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home... Somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her... Somebody isn't a mother.
After 21 years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you." The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's wrong, are you well?" she asked. My mother is the type of Woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. "I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our meeting"
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entrees, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return the favor, "I responded".
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation-nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed. "How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice, much more so than I could have imagined," I answered. A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.
Sometime later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU", and what it means to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time".
Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.... Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, "normal" is history.
Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct... Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.
Somebody said being a mother is boring... Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a learner's permit.
Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good"... Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices... Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a ball through the neighbour's kitchen window.
Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother... Somebody never helped a fourth grader with his maths.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love the first... Somebody doesn't have two children.
Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child- rearing questions in the books... Somebody never had a child stuff sultanas up his nose or in his ears.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labour and delivery... Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten ... or on a plane headed for military training camp.
Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back... Somebody never organized seven giggling Girl Guides to sell biscuits.
Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married... Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home... Somebody never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her... Somebody isn't a mother.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Words to ponder
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt, because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back. Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.
~anonymous~
~anonymous~
Smile! a beautiful poem!
When was the last time a verse of poetry shook your very existence and caused your heart to miss a beat? For me, it was just a few weeks ago at the end of a wonderful evening which I spent with some friends entertaining a guest (who later became a friend) from out of town. After a wonderful dinner, some Hookah and lots of hilariously funny jokes, I got in the car with my coterie to be dropped off home. As my friend was getting ready to start the engine, I heard him mutter a poem under his breath which I instantly recognized. I studied it whilst in 5th grade, and don’t believe I heard it recited ever since. The poem is simply called “smile”, and it was written by the migrant Lebanese poet Iliya Abu Madi. The words were so beautiful I nearly cried, and found myself struggling to pull the verses from the deepest bottoms of my memory. After I got home, I kept remembering the verses over and over again, and a few days later, I decided to search for it on the Internet. Thanks to Google, I was able to find it, and when I read the whole poem, I came to see the beauty, the optimism and the majesty of it.
Around the turn of the twentieth century, a wave of migration took place from the Arab World to the United States and other countries in North, Central and South America. This wave included a number of writers and poets who were so influential that they had a significant impact on Arabic literature, such that they later became masters of their own genre, the Genre known as “Adab Almahjar”, or the literature of the expatriates. This genre, unlike its traditional counterparts, was simple but powerful, and incorporated elements of Western literature, dressing it in beautiful Arabic attire. It spoke of love and longing, for the homeland, for the beautiful woman, the queen of the heart, for the loved ones far away and for happiness. Such poets and writers included such renowned names as Gibran Khalil Gibran, and of course the wonderful Iliya Abu Madi.
But back to the poem. It takes place in the form of a dialogue between two friends, a pessimist and an optimist. The pessimist was talking about all sorts of terrible things around him, things which are part and parcel of the life of an immigrant from the Middle East at that time, and the optimist was trying to convince him to smile!
Here is a vocal recitation of the poem in its native Arabic given by yours truly. My apologies for those of you who speak Arabic for the mistakes I’m sure I made, and to those of you who do not, for failing to convey the full beauty of this poem in my attempt to translate it below. Nevertheless, the poem, translated, goes like this:
He said “the sky is gloomy and full of sadness”,
I said “so smile, isn’t the sadness in the sky enough”?
He said “the days of youth are long gone”,
I said “So smile, do you think your sorrow will bring back those long gone days”?
He said “and she who brought heaven into my life with her love, has turned it with her love into a raging hell-fire.
She betrayed our vows after I gave her my heart, so how can I even bear to smile”!
I said “so smile and sing, for if you had married her, you would have spent your whole life in pain and sorrow”.
He said “and business now a days is in such a struggle, just like the desert traveler who is almost being slain by thirst.
Or like a beautiful sick girl who is in need of so much blood, and yet each time she breathes she exhales blood”.
I said “smile, for you’re not the cause of its sickness and its recovery, but if you smile, just maybe.
For its not your fault – it’s someone else’s, but yet you live in so much anxiety as if you are the guilty one”.
He said “and my adversaries’ voices have become so loud around me, how can I be please with my adversaries so close here in my safe refuge?”
I said “smile, for they wouldn’t have come after you for what you said if you weren’t higher and greater than they are.”
He said “and the signs of the holidays are slowly exposing themselves to me, with new clothes, with toys!
And I, as you know, have binding commitments of gifts for my loved ones, but my palm possesses not a Dirham (Dollar).”
I said “smile and think of how lucky you are to be alive, and how lucky you are to have those loved ones”.
He said “and the long nights have fed me so much bitterness,”
I said “smile, even if you had to scoff so much bitterness.
For if someone sees you hymning, they may put aside their sadness and chant with you.
I don’t see you earning a dirham (Dollar) with your misery, neither do I see you losing riches with a smile.
Oh my friend, there is no harm if your lips crack and your face chuckles.
So smile, for the meteor and the night both smile even when they have to face each other – and that’s why we love the sight of the stars!”
He said “oh, but cheerfulness can never bring happiness to someone who comes to this world and goes unwillingly.”
I said “oh but smile, as long as there is but a foot between you and death, smile, How come I don’t see you smiling yet!”
Around the turn of the twentieth century, a wave of migration took place from the Arab World to the United States and other countries in North, Central and South America. This wave included a number of writers and poets who were so influential that they had a significant impact on Arabic literature, such that they later became masters of their own genre, the Genre known as “Adab Almahjar”, or the literature of the expatriates. This genre, unlike its traditional counterparts, was simple but powerful, and incorporated elements of Western literature, dressing it in beautiful Arabic attire. It spoke of love and longing, for the homeland, for the beautiful woman, the queen of the heart, for the loved ones far away and for happiness. Such poets and writers included such renowned names as Gibran Khalil Gibran, and of course the wonderful Iliya Abu Madi.
But back to the poem. It takes place in the form of a dialogue between two friends, a pessimist and an optimist. The pessimist was talking about all sorts of terrible things around him, things which are part and parcel of the life of an immigrant from the Middle East at that time, and the optimist was trying to convince him to smile!
Here is a vocal recitation of the poem in its native Arabic given by yours truly. My apologies for those of you who speak Arabic for the mistakes I’m sure I made, and to those of you who do not, for failing to convey the full beauty of this poem in my attempt to translate it below. Nevertheless, the poem, translated, goes like this:
He said “the sky is gloomy and full of sadness”,
I said “so smile, isn’t the sadness in the sky enough”?
He said “the days of youth are long gone”,
I said “So smile, do you think your sorrow will bring back those long gone days”?
He said “and she who brought heaven into my life with her love, has turned it with her love into a raging hell-fire.
She betrayed our vows after I gave her my heart, so how can I even bear to smile”!
I said “so smile and sing, for if you had married her, you would have spent your whole life in pain and sorrow”.
He said “and business now a days is in such a struggle, just like the desert traveler who is almost being slain by thirst.
Or like a beautiful sick girl who is in need of so much blood, and yet each time she breathes she exhales blood”.
I said “smile, for you’re not the cause of its sickness and its recovery, but if you smile, just maybe.
For its not your fault – it’s someone else’s, but yet you live in so much anxiety as if you are the guilty one”.
He said “and my adversaries’ voices have become so loud around me, how can I be please with my adversaries so close here in my safe refuge?”
I said “smile, for they wouldn’t have come after you for what you said if you weren’t higher and greater than they are.”
He said “and the signs of the holidays are slowly exposing themselves to me, with new clothes, with toys!
And I, as you know, have binding commitments of gifts for my loved ones, but my palm possesses not a Dirham (Dollar).”
I said “smile and think of how lucky you are to be alive, and how lucky you are to have those loved ones”.
He said “and the long nights have fed me so much bitterness,”
I said “smile, even if you had to scoff so much bitterness.
For if someone sees you hymning, they may put aside their sadness and chant with you.
I don’t see you earning a dirham (Dollar) with your misery, neither do I see you losing riches with a smile.
Oh my friend, there is no harm if your lips crack and your face chuckles.
So smile, for the meteor and the night both smile even when they have to face each other – and that’s why we love the sight of the stars!”
He said “oh, but cheerfulness can never bring happiness to someone who comes to this world and goes unwillingly.”
I said “oh but smile, as long as there is but a foot between you and death, smile, How come I don’t see you smiling yet!”
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Children and innocence
Another set of interesting and funny thoughts sent by a good friend. These have to be original and genuine - no adult is this creative!!
JACK (age 3) was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new baby sister. After a while he asked: "Mom why have you got two? Is one for hot and one for cold milk?"
MELANIE (age 5) asked her Granny how old she was. Granny replied she was so old she didn't remember any more. Melanie said,
"If you don't remember you must look in the back of your panties. Mine say five to
six."
STEVEN (age 3) hugged and kissed his Mom goodnight. "I love you so much, that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroom window."
BRITTANY (age 4) had an earache and wanted a painkiller. She tried in vain to take the lid off the bottle. Seeing her frustration, her Mom
explained it was a childproof cap and she'd have to open it for her. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked: "How does it know it's me?
SUSAN (age 4) was drinking juice when she got the hiccups. "Please don't give me this juice again," she said, "It makes my teeth cough."
D I (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: "How much do I cost?"
MARC (age 4) was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and kissing in a restaurant. Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his
dad: "Why is he whispering in her mouth?"
CLINTON (age 5) was in his bedroom looking worried. When his Mom asked what was troubling him, he replied, "I don't know
what'll happen with this bed when I get married. How will my wife fit in?"
JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." Concerned, James asked: "What happened to the flea?"
TAMMY (age 4) was with her mother when they met an elderly, rather wrinkled woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for awhile and then asked, "Why doesn't your skin fit your face?"
The Sermon
I think this Mom will never forget.... this particular Sunday sermon...
"Dear Lord," the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous
look on his upturned face. "Without you, we are but dust." He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter (who was listening!) Leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mom, what
is butt dust?"
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Carrots, Coffee And Eggs
Wow, it’s almost what I had for breakfast, but that’s not what it’s all about (though I am tempted to write about my breakfast, because it was quite interesting in its own right). I’ve been thinking a lot lately about who I am, who I’ve been, and who I want to be. I’ve come to a powerful conclusion, and that’s the fact that each human being is the ultimate source of power for themselves. In other words, it’s not our surrounding that’s to blame for our failure and that we owe for our success, it’s what we do and how we react, irrespective of what the world around us is like!
It takes a wise woman, a mother, to think of something like that – I love you mother, and I wish I could tell you how much you taught me. In Islam, there is a saying which goes like this: “heaven is underneath the feet of every mother”. Read on and see how this piece puts it so eloquently.
----------------------------------
Carrots, Coffee And Eggs
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity ... boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the
boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
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