“That which does not kill me makes me stronger” In the famous words of Friedrich Nietzsche, we tend to follow the direct opposite. We live in comfort in a world with abundance where the slight lack of a simple necessity can force us to endure the pain of actually taking extra effort. When the boat is rocked, we panic; yet in times of smooth sailing, we have no cares in the world around us.
As Ramadhan is less than 14 days, I am reflecting on this though. In my reflection, I am recalling the importance of tradition. As Ramadhan is the month where we prepare for the 11 months ahead, I am also focusing on the importance of planning. All of this coincides with my birthday—as I usually use August 2 as my personal New Year.'s Day.
It is 3:00am, and our house lights are on. Mom is in the kitchen and it is the smell of culinary delights that awakens me. The lights are just there to remind me that I am not dreaming, and that I have to get up out of bed, eat and then begin my day. As a 12 year old on summer vacation, this memory of some three decades ago all seems like yesterday. So too are the times where I felt too tired to get up and fasted without breakfast. “You snooze, you lose” becomes a lesson learned quickly.
The table is set, and it looks as ornate at the Iftar dinner parties that we have been hosting from the nights before. The main difference is that this is our gathering—where our family, lead by Mom and Dad—are rounding us up all together at the dinner table. As we are all racing to eat what we can before dawn's early light, this moment is something I look forward to.
After the confirmation that it is time to stop eating—almost like a New Years countdown—clean up begins as we all help with the kitchen cleanup. As I am cleaning, I am not thinking about food, but I am thinking about dinner. Somehow, I have my justification for this diametrically opposed thought---16 hours of a fast without food or water.
The day is long, and somehow time seems to tick slowly as the hours approach sunset. I chose not to look at clocks or my watch, but I try my best in keeping busy. I am learning goal setting and time management from fasting—what a deal!!! I can recall that one of my thoughts back in those days which replays every Ramadhan is “exactly how much time do we spend per day eating?” This is the question that we do not pay much attention to. We grasp the reality of the answer when we see that we have been eating almost unconsciously. Are we addicted to food? Are we using food like how a smoker lights up for not real reason? Are we chugging soda and coffee in the same manner an alcoholic reaches out for “just one more drink”? Face it, I am an addict. My drug of choice is food.
As sunset is approaching, the more food being set on the dinner table now becomes the new way how I am seeing that Iftar is approaching. This becomes the new clock for the countdown to eating. The guests arrive, and silence grows as it is appearing darker outside with each passing second. Food at last, as there is no shortage of that, or the moments that we are thankful for.
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