LIGHTER

 

It's been almost eight years since I last visited this place.

A place that holds so much meaning for me. A place I call sacred. A place I finally returned to after so many years.

I don't know how to explain what I felt before going there. I was carrying so much inside me—worries, thoughts, feelings I couldn't put into words. I didn't even realise how heavy my heart had become until I arrived.

And then, I touched Mola's qabar.

For a moment, I didn't need to explain anything. I didn't need to find the right words or make sense of everything happening in my life.

I just felt that I was there.

I left my worries there, in my prayers, in that moment of closeness I had waited so many years to experience again.

And somehow, when I walked away, I felt lighter.

Nothing around me had necessarily changed. My worries hadn't magically disappeared. Life was still life, with all its uncertainties.

But something inside me felt different.

It was as if my heart had finally found a place to rest.

I wish I could describe what it feels like to return somewhere after so many years and realise that, despite all the time that has passed, the feeling is still there. Perhaps even deeper than before.

I felt blessed. I felt grateful. And I felt a kind of peace I had struggled to put into words.

Maybe some places are not just places we visit.

Maybe they are places where we leave a little of our heaviness behind, where our hearts find their way back to faith, and where we remember that we don't have to carry everything alone.

I went there with a heart full of worries.

I came back with the same life waiting for me, but a little more peace within me.

And sometimes, that little bit of peace is everything.

INNOCENCE!

We often expect age to come with a certain kind of behaviour.

When someone is older, we expect them to be wiser, calmer, more careful with their words. We expect them to know how to handle every situation.

And when they don't?

When an older person reacts innocently, trusts easily, gets excited over little things, or simply doesn't know how to respond, we are quick to give it a name.

“They're foolish.”

“They should know better by now.”

But why do we assume that growing older means leaving innocence behind?

I have always been someone who reacts quickly.

If someone says something, I respond.

If someone does something, my reaction comes almost instantly.

Sometimes it comes out strongly.

Sometimes softly.

And sometimes, honestly, I don't know what to say at all.

There are moments when I simply stand there, trying to understand what just happened.

Maybe that's not immaturity.

Maybe it's just being human.

We all have different ways of responding to the world. Some people think before they speak. Some speak before they think. Some know exactly what to say. And some need a little time to find their words.

I've often wondered why we are so quick to turn someone's innocence into foolishness.

Maybe maturity isn't about always knowing what to say.

Maybe it isn't about never reacting.

Maybe it is simply about learning to understand ourselves—our reactions, our emotions, our mistakes—and slowly growing through them.

Because growing older and growing wiser are not always the same thing.

And perhaps, somewhere between maturity and innocence, there is a part of us that deserves to remain exactly as it is:

genuine.

WITHOUT SHOW!

Some people have a way of making everything they do visible.

They help someone, and there are many words around it.
They do something kind, and they make sure you know about it.
They add expressions, explanations, and stories to their actions—as if the action itself isn't enough.

And then there are people who simply do.

They help without announcing it.
They care without making a display of it.
They do something for someone and move on, without needing anyone to notice.

There are also people who talk about the things they do, but that doesn't necessarily make their intentions false. Some people are simply expressive. They like to share, to explain, to tell stories. And sometimes, behind all those words, there is a genuinely kind heart.

Perhaps the difference isn't always in what a person does or how much they talk about it.

Perhaps it's in why they do it.

Because kindness doesn't become less meaningful just because someone speaks about it. And being quiet doesn't automatically make someone more sincere.

We can never completely know what lives inside another person's heart.

But I've started noticing something:

Some people need their goodness to be seen.

Some people are comfortable letting it remain unseen.

And perhaps the most beautiful kind of goodness is the one that doesn't need an audience.

Not because it is trying to hide.

But because being good was never a performance in the first place.

“Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you.”

 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the attribution is uncertain.

Maybe that's what matters most—not how beautifully we describe what we do, but what our actions look like when there is no one around to applaud them.

MORE VALUABLE LESS NOTICEABLE

In life, we meet so many different kinds of people.

Some are quiet.

Some are loud.

Some are cheerful, some are serious.

Some express everything they feel, while some keep most things to themselves.

Everyone has a different nature, a different way of thinking, and a different way of seeing the world.

But sometimes I wonder—do we notice the louder people more?

The ones who speak confidently, make their presence known, or easily become the centre of a conversation often get noticed first.

And the quieter ones?

The ones who listen more than they speak.

The ones who stay calm.

The ones who don't feel the need to make themselves heard.

Sometimes, we barely notice them.

Not because they have less to say.

Not because they have less to offer.

Perhaps they simply express themselves differently.

And maybe that's something we should think about.

Because being quiet doesn't mean being weak.

Being loud doesn't mean being strong.

Sometimes, the people we notice the least may be the ones carrying the most beautiful thoughts, the deepest feelings, and the greatest kindness.

Maybe we don't always need to look for the loudest voice in the room.

Sometimes, we just need to notice the quiet ones too.

PERHAPS!!!

How easily we judge people!!!!

A few days ago, I met a woman who talked a lot about her family—almost everything. At first, I noticed how freely she spoke about her daughters, her husband, her home, and little things about her life.

Her husband is no more. Her two daughters are married and live in another city. And she lives alone in her hometown.

I could have simply thought, “Why does she tell everyone so much?”

Maybe someone else would have called her too talkative, too open, or even nosy.

But then I thought…

Maybe she talks because silence has become too heavy.

Maybe those stories about her family are the closest thing she has to having them around.

Maybe when she tells someone about her daughters, she gets to feel like a mother sitting with her children again—even if they are miles away.

And it made me wonder how many times we look at someone's behaviour and immediately give it a name.

Too emotional.

Too loud.

Too quiet.

Too needy.

Too distant.

Too talkative.

But how often do we stop and ask ourselves—what might be happening behind it?

We see a behaviour.

We don't see the story behind it.

Everyone is carrying something we know nothing about.

So perhaps, before judging someone, we should pause for a moment.

Because sometimes what looks like “too much” from the outside is simply someone trying to fill a little bit of the emptiness inside.

PEACE 🕊️

 Peace looked like slow mornings,

like sunlight sneaking through curtains,

like silence that didn’t feel empty.

It looked like choosing calm over chaos,
and letting go of what I couldn’t control.

Sometimes peace isn’t found — it softly finds you.

DEAR CHILDREN, FROM LITTLE TO GROWN BY RUKAYYA ZIRAPUR

Reading Dear Children felt like sitting down with a cup of tea and having an honest conversation about life. The tone is calm, encouraging, and full of warmth. I loved how the author didn’t use complicated ideas — instead, she wrote straight from the heart.

This book teaches not just children but even adults to pause and think — am I really living the right way? Am I being kind enough, grateful enough? It made me reflect on how we grow up so fast, forgetting the innocence and mindfulness we once had as kids.

I’d say it’s a perfect read for parents, teachers, or anyone who wants to remind themselves (or others) about the small but powerful values of life.

This book truly feels like a mirror — gentle, wise, and full of love.

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 ✨

Best for: Teens, young readers, parents, and anyone looking for simple wisdom and emotional comfort.

💭 Favorite takeaway: “Growing up doesn’t mean losing your heart — it means learning to protect it better.”

Book Summary — 

Dear Children is a short yet deeply meaningful book by Rukayya Zirapur that feels like a gentle letter to every child and young adult growing up in today’s world. The author beautifully captures the struggles, emotions, and lessons we often learn late in life — but wishes children could understand early.

Through simple and relatable words, the book guides readers to think clearly, manage emotions, understand money, value time, and care for their mental well-being. Each page holds a thoughtful message — almost like advice from a wise elder or a loving teacher — reminding us to stay kind, patient, and self-aware while facing life’s challenges.

It’s not a typical “children’s” storybook; it’s more like a book of reflections meant to shape growing minds into confident, kind, and grounded individuals.