Advice for searching for a spouse (rishta): Part 2: meetings

So, whether you decide to meet up in the family home, or in public with a mehram (chaperone), meeting a random person to find out if you're compatible for marriage is awkward. Obviously my rishta advice is from a female perspective, and is just what has helped me. I'm sure a lot of it can apply to guys too.
There are some things that can be done to get the most out of meeting a rishta and decrease the nervousness and awkwardness. Here's some of what's worked for me. If you have anything to add, feel free!

Before

Maximum information
Before arranging to meet someone, it's beneficial to have as much information as possible so that you know whether it's worth meeting. It's sometimes worth asking close friends/family whether they've heard of the person - some people are well known in a society for the right or wrong reasons. It can be useful to ask in a way that doesn't make it obvious it's regarding a rishta for you, because if people think you're already serious about a person, they're likely to want things to work out for you, so probably won't let on if there's anything negative about the person. I've seen quite a few situations now where a marriage doesn't work out, then lots of people say they knew the guy/girl was a bad person or had done such and such, but didn't want to say anything when asked their opinion because things were already serious between the couple.

Be careful who you ask as they may be biased due to e.g having a family feud with that person, having been rejected as a potential spouse for that person themselves etc. If you know their full name, it might be worth looking up their name on social networks to see if they have friends in common and a glimpse into what they're like. A picture says a thousand words, so if a guy's profile picture is of him in a nightclub holding an alcoholic drink and with scantily clad women draped over him, you may want to pass on meeting him!

Communication before meeting
If you have come across the person before hand e.g via an online matchmaking site or through friends/family passing on your details, or even the guy's parents passing on his email addres/phone numbers so you can find out if you're compatible beforehand, it's important to do this in a good way. It's important that things are kept purposeful and don't go too far. A good piece of advice I've been given is to communicate in a way that if someone you respect was listening to that phone call or reading your emails exchanged, you wouldn't be ashamed.

Beware of guys who:

• want to have endless meetings/ phonecalls where, at the end, you don't know anything more about them or their family
• are over friendly/flirtatious/complimentary - if they're like that with you, they're probably like that with lots of other girls
• dodge personal questions or change the subject when you ask about their friends/family/mutual friends - they may have something to hide
• say they don't want to involve family until they're sure this is the person they want to marry - they may be a commitment-phobe
• Give a ridiculously small amount of information or say things that make them sound bad - they may be trying to put you off because they're not interested, or ready to start looking for someone for marriage
• say they don't know what they're looking for or when asked what they think of certain things, say they don't mind - they may not be ready for rishta searching yet
• when asked what they'd be looking for in a partner, have a massive list of how she should dress, act, be with their family etc - they're usually control freaks
• barely say a word, while their sister/mother asks you all the questions and tell you what 'we' are looking for - that's not usually a healthy relationship

Think of some questions
If you're new to rishta meetings, it can help to think of some questions to ask before meeting them (based on the information you have) - if you get really nervous and have a mind-blank when you're talking, these will probably come back to you! See 'Ask the right questions' below.

Be ready early
You'll feel more relaxed, be able to fix any wardrobe malfunctions, make-up mishaps etc and have time to do some du'as, dhikr etc. Also, I've heard some people like to turn up early to catch people unaware or 'test' them. So if you're ready early, you can feel all smug

Dress code
It's good to wear something that you feel comfortable and attractive in - generally something you've worn before. I tend to wear something mid-range i.e I would visit an acquaintance's house in it. Obviously it's important to dress modestly, but I feel it's important to dress in a similar manner as normal.

Wear socks
For some reason, Asian aunties like to stare at your feet, which can make you feel really self conscious. I've heard that guys are advised to look at a girl's feet to see what her real skin colour is, since a lot of girls use make-up or skin-lightening products on their faces. I don't know how true that is, but I have definitely felt the stares and it freaks me out :/

Other singles 'uglify'
Because my sisters and I look very alike, I have to guiltily admit that I get them to 'uglify' at rishta visits -  glasses instead of contact lenses and a slightly dowdy outfit lol.

A signal system and a plan
My family and I have a signal system. When I've had enough of talking to a guy and want to escape, I scratch my wrist as a cue for someone to interrupt and e.g ask everyone if they want more tea and diffuse the meeting somehow. It depends on the setup. Definitely plan your entrance and escape! Also knowing where people are going to sit, who will bring things into the room and serve them etc can help too, if you're nervous.

Lots of food
I like to make sure there is a good amount of savouries prepared beforehand (usually samosas in my case - yum!) - a lot of Asians are diabetic so they son't eat a lot of sweet, so savoury is good. Also if there's a lot, it gives you something to look forward to after the visit. Whatever food it is, make sure it's something you can eat it comfortably and with dignity.

Another couple
Since I don't have brothers, I try to arrange the meeting with the presence of another young married couple so that the rishta guy has someone on his level he can talk to (since talking to my dad the whole time might be uncomfortable for him!) and I have some company. It has to be with people who I can trust to be discreet, and are relaxed and chatty but not overbearing. Luckily I have a choice of these in my family.

Be positive
You never know, this could be the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with happily inshaAllah.

Du'a
A couple of du'as that help me before rishta visits:

Rabbi-'shrah li sadri wa yassirli amri wahlul 'uqdatan min lisani yafqahu qawli."

"O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness). And make loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue, (i.e. remove the incorrectness from my speech) That they understand my speech. (Qur'an 20:25-28)

Rabbi yassir wa laa tu'assir wa tammim bil khayr. 
Oh my Lord, make (it) easy and do not make it difficult, and make it end well.

During

Be yourself (everyone else is taken)*
There is absolutely no point in trying to come across as someone you're not, or to say things just because you think it's what people want to hear - it's a way of lying, and wrong on so many levels.

Pretend they're the same gender
It's easy to think of the other gender as another species - if you do that, it will probably just make you nervous so talk to the person as if they're someone you're just starting to befriend and trying to find out more about.

Trust your instincts
It's important to know the difference between feeling uncomfortable/nervous/awkward and just feeling really uncomfortable around a person because something just isn't right. If it's the latter, the chances are that the person's not right for you but try and find out more before just writing the person off.

Ask the right questions
To get the most relevant information, you need to ask the right questions for what's important to you e.g about lifestyle, religiousness, their relationship with their family, expectations of roles in a marriage, whether they would expect you to give up work after marriage or expect you to work an contribute equally financially, living arrangements, future plans. If something doesn't sit right with you, make a mental note of it. It might be a good idea to ask how they socialise and whether they drink alcohol - the guys who are party animals don't always look the type.

*Oscar Wilde

After

Review

After the rishta people have left, I usually have a chat with everyone who was there from my family about their thoughts on the guy and his family, any positive and negative points and discuss anything that didn't sit right with me. It's important at this point to think of anything you'd like to know more about and remember to ask about it if you meet again. After this point, it's important not to think about it too much, over analyse or beat yourself up for 'messing things up'. If something is meant for you, it will definitely happen and nothing or nobody can stop that. If it's not meant for you, it's Allah's will so don't question it - it's for the best. Learn from the experience and move on.

Istikhara

Even though in Asian culture, it's the guy's side who decides whether there will be any further meetings etc, it's good to do istikhara to see whether a positive or negative feeling develops. To be honest, I only do it once I know that they're interested.

Further meetings

If the guy's side is interested they'll want to meet again. If you do, it's a good opportunity to find out anything you want to know more about. It can sometimes be a good idea to ask certain questions you already asked last time - if you get different answers both times, this can be a big red flag, so be careful. Of course, there's a possibility that their answer has changed because their situation has changed, so definitely find out more.

Relax

It's over! InshaAllah your search will end soon, successfully :)

Musing: My theory on shallowness in UK desis

I've been philosophising on why a lot of guys and their parents (ok ok some girls too) are so shallow - and not just when it comes to rishtas. I mean apart from the unrealistic images propagated by the media etc etc. The amount of times I've heard that 'so and so is so UGLY' or 'but they live in such and such a part of town (eww)' truly baffles me. It's so much worse when it comes from people older than me. It was God who gave us our looks and our situations to an extent, so I just find it really unacceptably arrogant to belittle people because of those things.

Here's my theory/whine-fest/ramble: when the generation of my parents moved to the UK, it was for economic reasons - the aim was to do well so that the next generation would be better off and wouldn't have to go through the hardship they did. Even though it was for economic purposes, it was usually for their future family and for their family back home that they wanted to do well. They clubbed together to make things better for each other since they knew they were all in the same boat. They cared about each other, and they felt grateful for being part of this economy.They then taught their children that making money is reeeeeally important, and that they should have the best. Most of us were told to concentrate on our studies and getting ahead in life. I don't think there's anything wrong with striving for being financially successful, but with that being the sole aim in life and for it to be what we look for in others.

I feel like a lot of my generation of UK desis feel little sense of societal responsibility. They don't feel they owe much to 'the goray' (white people) so don't do much in the way of helping out the community in that way, and in our own society, many of our elders are being put in care homes, or deteriorating after they stop working because they don't have hobbies (since they felt their only purpose in life was to provide for or bring up their family), and there are many Muslim kids in foster care who have extended families who haven't taken them in. And then when someone in the community tries to focus on and tackle one problem, people pounce on them, telling them what to do, how to do it, and that they should also be doing x, y and z. I hate it when people say 'why isn't anyone doing anything about it?' - well maybe we should all start off with ourselves, and our own families. I think a huge part of really understanding what's deeply important in life (as opposed to e.g good looks, a big bank balance etc) is gained by focusing on issues outside the self - helping other people and causes. I think what with the internet, mobile phones etc, we live in a society that is so used to instant gratification, we want everything to be immediate so don't give it a chance, even extending this to relationships, which shouldn't really be disposable. Maybe that's why Allah gave us families: your family, whether or not you get on with them, will always be your family, and that relationship is something so valuable. It was only when the rishta search was in full swing that I truly appreciated mine on a deeper level. May Allah shower His blessings on them all (ameen)

Advice for searching for a spouse (rishta): Part 1 - Mental preparation

I've decided it's time to put down some advice I wish I'd had and/or heeded when I first started this process. I'm definitely still learning! I'll probably keep adding to this as I go along my journey/remember other things. I would love to hear other people's too :)
This first part is about preparation and having the right attitude from the outset. Part 2 will be about the actual search and part 3 will be about keeping the search going - I think - inshaAllah (I haven't really decided yet).
Here goes

Know what your ultimate goal is (so don't get obsessed with 'the search'!)
At any given point, be sure you know your sole purpose in life is to worship Allah, and marriage is a means to doing this, not an ultimate goal in itself. It's very easy to become obsessed. FreelyEnslaved (read her blog!) has an excellent post on this. Also, getting obsessive can lead to despair or getting desperate, which are not only unbecoming but can damage your faith in Allah. Remember that we're going to ultimately be judged as individuals - not couples!

Know yourself
You're considering spending your life with someone who hasn't had a lifetime to know all your good and bad qualities, habits, tendencies etc, so will probably ask about them - if you haven't thought about these aspects, this can be confusing. Understand what your weaknesses are and work on them, and know what brings out the best in you, what makes you respect people (this is really important), what you love about your friends (is there anything they all have in common?), what puts you off people etc. Ask your friends and family about what they think your strengths and weaknesses are, your good and bad qualities, what brings out the best and worst in you, and their opinion - if nothing else, it's a self esteem booster, and might help you in other aspects of life e.g career too.

Manage Expectations
Talk to people who are married about what they were looking for, how they got married etc and seek their advice! Not only will you find out things that surprise you but you'll bond with them and most probably have  a laugh.. Try to talk to a variety of people e.g those who live with in-laws, those who met at work or were introduced by family, interracial/cultural marriages etc so as to understand some of the issues, and to give you some idea of what would and wouldn't work for you and what married life is really like. You might be surprised!

Know what you want
It's very easy to say 'I'll know when I see it', and that may be true for some people, but it definitely helps to have an idea of what's essential, desirable what you can be flexible on and what's a total no-no for you. Think about what you can't live with, what you can't live without, what you're flexible about, the kind of people who bring out the best and worst in you, the qualities you love in others etc

Be your best
Don't compare yourself to others - everyone's path in life is different. It may be that by staying single, you're avoiding people who are bad for you, or there's something you need to achieve or that you need to work on, or it's just not the right thing for you just yet. If you try to be the best person that you can, in every facet of your life, you will minimise regrets and have lots of goals and hope for the future. For example, n the last few years, I've started to take a lot more care of myself in terms of diet and fitness, and know that I feel and look well alhumdulillah - in the rishta search, this is really important!

Good Company
You're not alone in your singledom! It's good to have a few friends who are in the same situation - you can vent, learn from each other's experience, encourage one another and be each other's shoulder to cry on, or be truly, meaningfully happy for them when they find someone. They can also be a source of information about potential suitors too.

Pressure
People will probably try to make you panic by telling you stories of those who were too picky when they were young, then ended up being scorned loser-y spinsters at 50. Yes, this can happen, but don't confuse having principles and standards with being too picky. Don't let it put you off either - in Islam, the ultimate decision is with the man and woman getting married, so you're perfectly entitled to your decisions.

Open-mindedness
Try to have a non-judgemental attitude and not be too restrictive. The fact is that we actually don't know what's best for us. "...it may be that you dislike a thing while it is good for you, and it may be that you love a thing while it is evil for you; and Allah knows while you know not" [Qur'an 2:216].
Be careful what you say - I've seen so many examples of people saying statements like "I would never be with someone short" or parents who have said they would never let their child marry someone Bengali, and they have ended up with exactly that! Maybe it's God teaching us a lesson in humility and not being prejudiced :).

Be positive
If you stay positive, you'll get the best out of life no matter what comes your way. Inevitably, there are times in life when you feel down - in those situations, be kind to yourself, understand that it's a phase, and every phase is temporary - you'll get through it inshaAllah.

Take criticism graciously
It's very likely that if you're single and have been looking to get married, people will give you 'advice' about what you're doing wrong. Being defensive only serves to either hurt people's feelings if they're being sincere, or give them ammunition to bitch about you if they're being nasty, so it's better to be polite and accepting or correct them in the best way if they've said something wrong. Some things can be hurtful but helpful, so it's best to be receptive. E.g when a few people point out to you that you've put on weight and it might be hindering you - it might be time to sort out your diet and fitness!

Appreciate your singledom
When you're single, it's likely that you'll have more time of your own - it's the perfect time to explore and further your passions and interests, spend precious time with your friends and family, create good habits, do charity work that interests you and gain Islamic knowledge - if you get married, these will create a great foundation for good relationships and great habits for if/when you become a parent, and if you don't, you've become a better person - it's a win-win situation.

Make du'a
Du'a is one of the few things that can change your destiny. Du'as can be answered in 3 ways:
1) What you ask for is given to you immediately.
2) A calamity is averted from you. 
3) The du'a is not answered in this dunya (this life); you are rewarded for it in the aakhira (the next life). There is no doubt that the du'a will be answered. Allah does not make the dua appear on the tongue , except that He wants to answer it. 
So again, it's a win-win situation

Here are a few from the Qur'an. These are important because they were originally done with sincerity, then accepted by Allah and preserved for our benefit.

"Rabbana aatina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil aakhirati hasanatan waqina 'adhaban-nar."

"Our Lord! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire." (2:201)

"Rabbana aatina min ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi' lana min amrina rashada."

"Our Lord! give us mercy from Your presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight." (18:10)

"Rabbanaa hab lanaa min azwaajina wa dhuriyyaatina qurrata A'yunin waj'alnaa lil-muttaqina imama."

"Our Lord! grant us in our mates and offspring the joy of our eyes and make us an example for those who guard against evil." (25:74)

....and another

Recently, my parents visited some old family friends who they'd fallen out of touch with. Inevitably, the subject of marriage came up and my parents told hem about our rishta woes. A few days later, we got a phone call from some randoms to say that the aforementioned family friends had recommended that our families be introduced as they had an unmarried son. It's nice when people do things like that.

Anyway, they decided to come and visit. They brought their unmarried son, plus his older brother, who was married - they didn't bring either of his sisters, which meant I had no female company :(. Both of his parents walked with a walking stick, which is a shame - I didn't realise until recently how fit and healthy my parents are in comparison to most desi people their age mashaAllah. When I walked in the room to say salaams, it was maghrib time, so everyone was bustling around (I planned it like this so I only had to greet everyone and pray, instead of sitting around awkwardly for what would feel like a lifetime!).

I walked into the room and greeted everyone there - it was the guy, his mum and my dad (the others had gone to the bathroom). So I assumed the guy's mum was sitting down and praying, because when I came in and said my salaams, she stared straight ahead, so I didn't go up to her and hug her. But then my dad suggested that the ladies go into the other room, so I realised she wasn't, and she had just ignored me. Awkward. The guy himself seemed quite a nice, decent, well rounded person, and talking to him was fine. It just felt like there was something weird going on - like his parents instantly realised this wasn't what they were looking for, or that they felt obligated to come in the first place as family friends put the suggestion forward, or maybe they wanted the guy to marry 'back home' - as his other 3 siblings had. They didn't give much away about their son, and the guy's mum took some supari (weird stuff that people from the indopak region chew) out of her pocket and sat there chewing it and not really talking.

Anyway, after it, my family and I discussed what we thought and were pretty sure that nothing would come of the visit: I felt fine - just numb. Same plot, slightly different characters and weirdnesses (yes that's now officially a word)

Needless to say, my mum phoned to ask what they thought (expecting a 'thanks but no thanks' but just wanting to get closure) - and apparently the guy's mum wasn't available to talk. I think it's quite safe to take that as a no.

Allah is the best of planners - here's a nice quote someone put on facebook that made me think:

"What if I told you 10 years from now your life would be exactly the same? Would you be happy about this? Doubtful. So, why are you so afraid of change?"

Another year, another rishta

Salaam people!

Yes, there was another rishta to start the year off.

No interesting stories though. The rishta was a recommendation from one of my aunts. The guy and his mother came over. He was in his 30s, newly seeking because of family circumstances that had previously made it difficult. He was ok, but not very interested in the deen, and constantly mentioned the gym (I've noticed that the amount of times a guy mentions the gym seems to be proportional to how tubby he is - the bigger the guy, the more he seems to want to prove he works out. Weird). It was pretty obvious from the first couple of minutes of conversation that we just weren't compatible - we hardly had anything in common and didn't 'click' at all. Also, his mother was a little bit too nosey - asking about the price of my parents' house and how they paid for it, amongst other things. I wasn't very interested and they didn't call or anything. Overall, I guess it left me feeling more positive - that there are guys out there, and that they're not all total weirdos.

At around the same time, another lady phoned my mum to say she was looking for someone for her son. She said she would be going shopping the next day, and would pop round with her daughter to 'view' me as well. My mum was not amused at the way she obviously perceived girls as meat - something to window shop around to find the best deal for, before her son having to be involved.

Of course the search will go on inshaAllah, but it's not everything. It's time for me to re-evaluate and take action on some of the things I've always wanted to do, to try to make them a reality. The whole marriage thing may or may not happen, but other good things certainly can, bi idhnillah (with the permission of Allah).

Hope everyone else's year has started well :)

Cooling down time

Salaam,

So lately, things have actually gone completely silent on the rishta search - I've pursued the last couple of remote possibilities, which turned out to be dead ends. I now don't mind when people tell me they're not interested based on my job - that they're looking for a 'professional', or my looks. There's nothing wrong with them for wanting what they have in mind, and there's nothing wrong with me for the way I look or what my job is - I'm grateful for the looks Allah gave me and that I can get satisfaction from my job knowing I've helped people and that it's something I can learn from and reflect on alhumdulillah. I do wish people wouldn't string me along though - it wastes time and gets me down.

There are no prospects for the foreseeable future. I have just about come round to the idea that I'll consider people from back home as prospectives. It was never something I wanted, but it seems that the things I'm looking for: deen - someone who takes it seriously and wants to progress; responsibility - someone who wants to do things for themself and isn't tied to the apron strings; and depth - someone who can have a conversation that goes beyond cars and celebrities exist in some men in the UK - but those men, having developed such qualities, are looking for a smokin' hot yet demure Aishwarya Rai/ Angelina Jolie lookalike with the same qualities, but maybe less so - men are supposed to be the leaders of the family after all. Oh, and she should also be an elegant social butterfly who seamlessly fits in with his family, and a dab hand in the kitchen, plus some other things.

All of this leads me to conclude that it's just not meant to be right now. Sometimes, chilling out about something makes it easier for it to happen, or it might not even happen, so I need to seriously make some more goals for the future that don't include a partner. I'm not going to stop the search inshaAllah - if anything, it will give me some stories to tell my cats (what with my back-up plan of being an eccentric but kindly cat lady)

I feel quite loser-ish lately, turning up to family/desi events with my parents when every other girl my age and younger is with their other half. People are also slightly wary of me, being single at my age - it's like 'My God - what if her spinsterhood is contagious?! Better avoid her, giver her strange looks and not let our children near her'. Yeah.

It's funny, people (including myself) can tell me the same type of thing multiple times and at some point, it just sinks in. I know I definitely go through phases with the whole rishta thing:

Angry, ranty phase: agggh guys are so annoying! This whole situation is ridiculous - RIDICULOUS! Why do I even care??! Oh look - a message from a guy on one of the matchmaking sites *reads it* --> what a stupid message *frowns and stamps foot*. What a bunch of irrevocably HOPELESS  and SHALLOW nincompoops some men are!

Delusional phase: Heyyy, I'm not actually past prime marriage age, I'll find the perfect man for me and we'll click, then get married. It's aaaall going to be fabulous! And there'll be lollipops and cute bouncy kittens and happy happy happy times aaaaall the time

Distraction: Ah! Work is busy, but I'll take up a couple more projects! And I'll cook a complicated dinner that takes 2 hours to make and 1 and a half hours to clean up after. And hey - why do I only have one book to read on my bedside table - I'll start 3 other different ones. Better get busy busy busy!

or sometimes I rapidly  cycle between these, making me look insane. I don't want to become one of those weird, bitter, highly strung spinsters - I can feel it happening but I'm definitely going to try and fight it.

The point is that everything in this life is temporary - whether it is to do with feelings or circumstances, so sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe, chill out ad appreciate where I am, what I have and how far I've come :)

I am really grateful to have things that I can concentrate on - one of them being my Islamic studies. One of the things that helped me out a lot recently was this:

"Don't let the keeping back of something you are fervently asking for make you despair. He has guaranteed an answer to your prayer in those things He chooses for you, not in those things that you choose for yourself, and at the time He wants, not at the time you want"
(from the hikam of Ibn Ata Illah al Iskandari)

So humbling mashaAllah

A pick-me-up

From Dreamlife's blog

I read this and thought it was awesome mashaAllah!

“Reliance”

They tell you to be patient.
They say your time will come:
what is meant to be will be;

And all that lies between now and then
is a trial of Faith,
a lesson in patience,
a Revelation of your ultimate reliance on the One.

You seek that which, you feel, will complete your heart;
complement your mind;
bring lasting comfort to your soul.

You wish for the bond of love and tranquility,
placed between your hearts;
you yearn for the one who will be a garment to you,
and you fulfilling the same blessed purpose for them.

You dream of a future,
a life no longer alone.
A companion to share with you all the ecstasy and agony you will face within your journey.
Someone who will walk with you,
side by side,
hand in hand,
down the beautiful path that leads back the One to Whom we belong,
the One to Whom is our return.

And though you will face that Day alone,
your bond – and all it manifested itself as – gives you hope
that, together, you were each other’s helping hand.

You enjoined what was good,
and forbade what was evil;
You had a common goal, a beautiful goal;
and the support of each other was your safety net:
you had a home in their arms,
and when they held you,
nothing could harm you -

For you were right where you were destined to be,
wrapped in the love of the one who you held so dear,

and the two of you,
wrapped in the Love of the One Who brought your souls into existence,
then shaped you over time – through pain and joy, preparing you for the pure, everlasting union that was always in existence – though you did not know it until it came to your senses:
manifested itself in front of your eyes.

He alone, you worshipped;
He alone, you asked for help.

And though, at times, you grew frustrated,
wondering when the help would come;
when it would be your turn -
in truth, the Help was always there.

It was just for you to accept -
with your heart and your mind,
beyond the superficial rhetoric -
that everything has its appointed time.

So on that Day,
as you stand before Him,
you do so in the knowledge that your lives,
your souls,
though beginning separated;
were brought together at the appointed time.

And all that came before was not a waste -
on the contrary,
it was a treasure chest:
a collection of thoughts, feelings, experiences;
all part of your preparation.

Yet you did not see it that way,
in your haste to attain that which you so cherished.

But the past has passed,
and all is put into perspective now.

And though we cannot conceive what awaits us in the Hereafter
- for Paradise begins where the imagination ends -
we know who we wish to share it with.

So, look past the immediacy of these moments without them;
and remember what awaits you in your future.

Take lessons from the past.
Be thankful for the present.
Be hopeful for the future.

Seek help in patience and prayer;
ask of Him Who is of infinite bounty.

Tell Him all that you fear,
all that you dream of,
all that you want;

Open up to Him and pour out every ounce of the hurt you feel.
Let it all go.

For when you have done so,
when your troubles have been released,
you will be brought back to the truth and comfort of your ultimate reliance on the One:
your Eternal Companion; closer than you can imagine.

Keep the faith, always.