I am a MOTHER

I thought I had experienced some challenging jobs, but nothing prepared me for the toughest role to date: motherhood!

The sleep deprivation. The neglect of self-care whilst the kids look like catalogue models. The lack of nutritious meals. The body image issues. The hunt for and never finding any ‘me-time’. The whole new level of multitasking. The disappearance of a social life. The having to take shortcuts or giving-in. The crying. The CRYING! The feeding issues. The…

Then they smile at you, raising your heart to the sky and back. Alhamdulillah.

And the cycle begins again…

Rayyan is now two and a half, Ridhwan just turned one. I think it’s safe to say I got through the worst. I know that as they grow there will be different needs, dynamics and challenges to face. But I’m now able to sleep a bit better and can dedicate some time to ‘me’ which makes the world of a difference to my performance as a mother.

Motherhood: Feeling Lost

In the midst of the mothering madness, it’s easy to…

Feel Lost

Before children, we women had passions and purpose. Post children, these transferred to our little ones and we can end up feeling like a shadow of our former selves. Yes, I’m happy to be a mother and feel extremely blessed since it was a struggle to get here in the first place. But at times I find myself yearning for some of the things I used to do when I had time and different priorities.

I have learnt to deal with this by pursuing my passions in bite-sized chunks. I used to write pages, now I write a few lines.

And I urge my sisters to do the same. Make time to do something for yourself, no matter how rushed or small. You may not be 100% happy with it, but you will have done something for YOU and that’s what counts!

Motherhood: Feeling Unappreciated

In the midst of the mothering madness, it’s easy to…

Feel Unappreciated

I’m blown away by the recognition and prestige given to mothers in Islam. I refer to the ‘your mother, your mother, your mother’ hadith.

When I am facing demands both physically and mentally, and it seems that no-one appreciates my efforts, I have to take a deep breath and remember: Allah is watching. Allah can see what is happening on the outside and He can see inside of me. Allah appreciates what we mothers do – that’s what truly matters.