Working Backward

 There's a lot of probability in my work and a lot of potential biases.  There's very little in work or in life that's 100% certain.  In other words, there isn't usually an exactly right or exactly wrong decision.  There's a bias about projections.  Trying to reconcile what our future self would want with what we want now.  Think grocery shopping while hungry.  Not a great idea:P

There is a compounding effect.  It's easy to be way off about our future self when we think several decisions ahead.  Backcasting takes a different approach.  It's kind of the opposite of forecasting.  It's starting with the goal and working backwards to get there.

Taher, think about you're goal and then act.  There may not be a 100% right decision, but there's definitely a better one.

Jewels

 I feel so lucky to be here in Paris listening to Moula’s waaz relay everyday. I often wonder what took so long. I’ve thought a lot about the path that led here. I even wrote about it a while back. 

It’s just a few days in. I know I’ll not retain many of the details after long, but I’m confident the impression will remain. I can already tell. Some of the themes aren’t earth shaking. However, they’re easy to forget. I’ll do well with a reminder. The themes I’ve taken away so far are simple generosity, thankfulness, and forgiveness. Moula reminded us that life is short and not to wait for tomorrow. 

Taher, be generous now. Taher, be thankful now. Taher, forgive now. 

Debit Card

 Yesterday Yusuf had a milestone.  One of those where he probably didn't give it a second thought and thinks what's the big deal and this is boring.  He opened his first bank account and got a debit card.  I got to go with him.  Chase made us go to the bank with an appointment and everything.  We had to both be there.  At first, I thought this whole thing was annoying. I thought "why can't I just do this online?".  We were at the bank for an HOUR!  What?!

This wasn't very exciting and Yusuf I'm sure thought it was boring at times as the person helping us patiently took our information and walked us through the online portal.  It was boring, but it had some cool moments.  Yusuf got some checks.  He turned to me and asked "Abba, how do these work?".  He asked questions like, "what if I try to spend more money than I have?" and "what's a savings account?".  He had to sign a bunch of electronic disclosures.  Stupid things I've agreed to a thousand times before.  It was his first.  He turned to me and asked, "Abba, is it ok to click next?".

On the whole, it was kind of boring, but there were moments that starkly reminded me this was momentous.

Taher, be there.  Sometimes he still needs you to tell him it's ok.

Picture

 This is one of my favorite pictures. I like it so much that I have it my closet. I see it every day. 

I took this picture over 20 years ago. I was in Israel and it felt amazing to be there. It was before I had a digital camera and could see the image instantly. I had to wait days to see the pic and it came out great.  I’ve got a great reminder that takes me back there. Every day I look at the picture and feel full of possibility. 

Taher, do cool stuff. You may not realize or see it, but it may be amazing in the future. 

Red light

 Red is on top for a reason. 

Taher, stop first. Then act/speak.

Luck

It’s easy for me to fall in the trap of thinking “you get what you deserve”.  I don’t think that’s true mostly. It follows logically that “it’s your fault “.  I don’t think that. That’s insensitive and just not cool. I guess what I’m trying to remember is that the strange thing about being lucky is it’s easy to forget you’re lucky. Little is in our control. That’s not an excuse to not try, but a key to being happy. 

Taher, remember you are lucky and you are not responsible.

By example

I’ve recently had the opportunity to do some volunteer stuff. It was most important to me to make the kids a part of it. I wanted to do this with them and I talked about it so much that they think it’s routine. I reminded them about it so often that they were a bit sick of me bringing it up, but it’s important. It should be top of mind for them. 

I think volunteering is important in part because I get to do it with them. I’m realizing it’s just as important to do it so they see. They see. They notice. They internalize. 

Taher, the kids are watching. 

Activity

It’s Ramadan again and I want to write something down. Each year I like to focus on something. Each year one of the things I like to do is just sit and slow down. I think it seems like a convenient way to avoid doing things. At masjid, it may appear as skipping a chance for ibadaat. 

I see sitting and slowing down as a form of ibadaat. I hope I’m right.  Sitting still used to be passive for me. It’s different now. Slowing down is an active choice and not the absence of a choice. Being still makes me more patient and a better listener.

Taher, sit and actively be still. 

Ride

 Last night it was my good fortune to help someone out. It was raining and dark and this woman’s car was blocked. It was my friend’s mom. I offered her a ride home and was able to drive her. 

Whenever I get the chance to help someone older, my thought is when any of my 4 parents need a hand I hope there is a friendly face they find who lends a hand. I had that thought and another one. 

I hope Yusuf and Nooriya have that same thought when they see someone who could use a hand. I would be so happy if they think helping people benefits Zahra and me. They weren’t there to see me help, but I made sure to tell them. 

Taher, help because it’s awesome. Also, help because it’s good for your moms and dads and help because it’s eventually good for Zahra and me. 

Fresh Eyes

I have this wonderful memory of sitting in Moula Ali’s roza for the first time this past year. The memory evokes what I was feeling. This rare calm in my experience. I was there with a friend that noticed me just sitting there. I’m not sure what he saw or noticed, but he commented “I remember my first time here just taking it in. Enjoy!”

There’s this wonderful and fleeting feeling I think I get the first time experiencing something whether it’s watching the sunrise on the first morning of vacation, hearing Yusuf declare his soccer slump is over, Nooriya’s gymnastics meet, or more generally stopping to think about all I get to do.

I say fleeting because it’s easy to get used to whatever and probably a little natural to take stuff for granted. 

Taher, it doesn’t have to be the first time or rare. Stop more often and look again. There’s a whole lot of stuff you take for granted. 

Shift

I heard a story that was inspiring. I’ve heard the story many times before and thought I got it, but I heard it again and a different commentary at the end. It’s the well known story of the Good Samaritan. Just help people.  Stop to help people. Simple. 

I understood a new layer of the story after hearing it again. It was just flipping a simple question. “What happens to me if I help?” was asked differently. It was posed as, “What happens to the other person if I don’t help?”.

Taher, shift your thinking. 

Karbala

I was expecting our trip to be Karbala and Najaf to be spiritual and rejuvenating. No surprise it it is. 

What I wasn’t expecting is that this is not a Bohra experience. Most of the ziyarats and significant places I’ve been have been almost exclusively Bohra or in an intolerant mostly Sunni environment where I felt like I was hiding what I was feeling in some way or doing something which felt secretive. 

Coming here I didn’t expect to feel a serenity and  calmness from watching others from all over do Moula Ali’s and Moula Husain’s and shohada’s ziyarat. Not just other Bohras, but many other Muslims of all types visiting these places and being visibly overwhelmed. I think to myself they didn’t have the nice Faiz rooms, knowledgeable guides, comfortable tours, regular good meals, and endless chai. 

They had to think about all sorts of practical things that I just don’t have to think about. It makes it all the more moving just to watch. Today there was another matam majalis at Imam Husain’s ziyarat. It’s wonderful we have this organized way to express ourselves. I doubt many people understood what we were saying, but it was clear what we were doing when we were yelling ya Ali or ya Husain. I  looked up and saw many non Bohras joined in and were doing matam with us and many taking videos seemingly because they were moved. It was beautiful. 

Taher, remember how you felt when you wrote this. Taher, remember love is love. 

Handstand

Nooriya had her 6th grade social this past weekend.  It was at a gym/ninja warrior place.  Fun and physically demanding.  The physically demanding plays to Nooriya's strengths.

She had a great time.

At the end, the whole 6th grade did a handstand contest.  It wasn't split boys and girls.  A handstand contest was right up her alley.  She's awesome at this.  The whole grade did a handstand and whoever could hold it the longest wins.  Nooriya can hold a handstand for a really long time.  She won! They stopped timing because everyone else was just waiting:P

I'm super proud of her.  Not only because she won and she's awesome.  I'm most proud of her because of her attitude.  She was of course gracious.  She was also fearless.  She won because she thought I'm good at this and it doesn't matter who else is in this boy or girl.   It seemed like that never even crossed her mind and it shouldn't.

Taher, be proud because she's awesome and be proud because of her attitude.

Evidence

 I am reading a book and the title of the section is “Data Schmata”. The point is that data isn’t necessarily a good thing. It reminds that how people feel is important. ‘It’ usually isn’t about having data or important to convince people of whatever with data. It is far more important to appeal to the way someone feels.  The author writes that using lots of data can be a “way to substitute the true with the complicated”.  I think that’s a more eloquent way of saying don’t try to persuade without thinking about how someone feels. 

Taher, it is ALWAYS more important how someone feels than being right. 

Intangible

 A few weeks into the school year we got a nice email from Yusuf's math teacher.  It wasn't overly effusive, but it was very nice.  It called him a leader and said that the other students already look to him for help.  It made me super proud and got me thinking.

I'm so proud and recognize this quality that Yusuf seems to have already and that he's growing into.  It's very hard to articulate.  It's kind of intangible and his teacher recognized it and called him a "definite leader".  I think she recognizes the same quality.  It's easy to see in my opinion and very hard to articulate.  I think throughout his life people will say stuff like "he's so nice" and otherwise give him credit for stuff.  He is still 13:), but he has an ability to genuinely interact with people and they respond to that.  I don't know the right word.  Genuine isn't it.  He can be a good listener, but that isn't it.  It's recognizing others on a very basic level.  It's a quality that is hard to find and will do him well.  Alhamdolillah.

Taher, remember to listen and observe more.

Generational Wealth

Today I had the opportunity to help some folks with some Medicare stuff. I was very excited. I don’t often have the chance to help people using my work stuff; I jump at the very infrequent chance to help someone with my professional skills. 

This couple is an old friend of my parents. After an hour of listening and explaining the very dry nuances of health insurance, the conversation turned to my parents. They’d been friends with my parents for over 40 some years. Longer than I’ve been around.  They had some wonderful stuff to say about my dad. Some professional as they used to work together and some personal as they had a mutual friend who dad went above and beyond to help. 

On the heels of that, they said something that made me super proud. They said, “you talk like your dad.”  I don’t really; I think they meant you’re like him for helping. They saw me in this very positive way in large part because of my dad and their connection to him. 

Taher, help people.  It’s awesome to help people.  Also, do it because it will affect the way people interact with Yusuf and Nooriya years from now. 

Generosity

 I didn’t write this, but want to be sure to come back and read this. 

—

‘I sought ‘praise’ and found it in generosity’. Amirul Mumineen’s AS kalam mubarak is replete with meaning that offers insight into the different understandings of praise.

Mehmadah refers to praise and those acts with which one may be deemed ‘praiseworthy’. By being generous, especially in times of adversity, one finds acclaim and admiration. 

—

Be generous Taher. 

Just do it

Taher, you’re in your 40s. You are old and wise now😅. Sometimes just do it or sometimes refrain from doing it😅. Not like when you were young. Not without regard for consequence. Rather with regard to consequence. Ask yourself, “is this going to matter?”  

Taher, if the answer is no then do the thing that makes the other person and you feel good. 

40

 Yay!

I get the day after my birthday off every year and am usually on vacation. It’s wonderful. I’ve gotten to another milestone birthday, Alhamdolillah. 

Things are changing at what feels like a faster pace. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be reflecting on, but I keep thinking about my dad. I’m now at the age he was when I was born. I think about how moving it was during his heart surgery recovery.  Alhamdolillah, he’s gotten to celebrate more milestones after that. Time after time friends and family show up for him. I’ve gotten to hear very memorable stories and very meaningful things his friends have said. 

Taher, do meaningful things that people will remember and make them want to show up for you.  Nooriya is eleven.  You have an eleven year head start.

12 Years

We get to visit someone after 12 years. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen her. 

I’m very excited to be able to meet her parents again. I remember them being nice and parenty I guess. I hadn’t really thought about how exceptionally nice they were twelve years ago. 

They opened their home so warmly to us. We arrived late at night, probably after 1am with Yusuf who was then a cute, but loud baby. I remember very well that they stayed up to meet us and had way more food than we could possibly eat waiting for us. They had rooms and beds prepared for us too thoughtfully directing us to essentials we would need and I remember them saying make yourself at home and really meaning it. I recall thinking this is so nice. 

I didn’t really think of their perspective until the other day. We were essentially strangers. One of us was friends with their adult kid and far away too. We had a loud baby that we we’re bringing in to their otherwise quiet home. And we probably demanded quiet because the baby was sleeping at probably seemingly random times. We arrived late at night and they were up. At the time, I didn’t think much of this. We were young and parenting a newborn. We were up all the time and whenever. I’m pretty sure they weren’t. 

I realize that they probably did this for all the people that came to their home and this wasn’t out of the ordinary. It was personal for me and they made me feel welcome. 

Taher, pay it forward. Change the world one interaction at a time.