On Forgiveness

It's that time of year that when we're supposed to forgive while hoping others forgive us too. Our sins aren't completely erased until those we wronged on purpose or not have truly forgiven us. Mass messages asking forgiveness are sent, and  mass messages claiming forgiveness to all are sent too.

We try to forgive others hoping they too will forgive. But is it enough?

I don't think people really understand the concept of forgiving everyone. To tell you the truth, it is hard! Forgiving everyone means:
- Forgiving the people who talk about you behind your back.
- Forgiving that person who refused to give you way on the road.
- Forgiving those who didn't explain the assignment you missed.
- Forgiving that person who rudely shoved you rushing by in the mall.
- Forgiving that one person who always seems to have something mean to say.
- Forgiving that other person that deliberately tries to offend you.
- Forgiving every malicious thing said about you to you and behind your back.
- Forgiving those evil glances and snide remarks.
- Forgiving those close to you for not understanding.
- Forgiving all for how they made you feel.

It is HARD! I'm not the one to hold a grudge, but if you think about it have you really forgiven people or did you merely just forget.

Forgiving and Forgetting are too different things.

Test yourself: try and remember an encounter where someone had hurt you're feeling. Is there a tiny bit of hurt still there?? If so, you may have forgotten about it but you didn't forgive at least not completely.

I once heard that the stupid neither forgive nor forget, the naive forgive and forget, but the wise forgive but do not forget. And that forgiving is not forgetting, it's letting go of the hurt.

How can I achieve that? As I always I looked for hints in the words of wise people.

"You will know forgiveness has begun when you recall those who have hurt you and feel the power to wish them well." - Lewis B. Smuedes.

I think I am powerful enough.


To all those who have hurt me in a small or large way; now or in the past; knowingly or not... I FORGIVE YOU.

I forgive all of those I recall (and those who I don't) in every way, and I truly wish they all are leading a good healthy life.

I hope they get to read this. I also hope people who I've hurt intentionally and unintentionally find it in their heart to forgive me.

On a lighter note, if you're not motivated enough to forgive people:

"Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde

Anyways. there' still one more day to Ramadan by then Inshallah all our sins are to be erased by our newly acquired good deeds.

Filofax

I want one now! They're only available in Magrudy's. I still can't decide which color to get, although I must say this raspberry leather is looking pretty good!

Closet Organization

I've been trying to implement this system for a while now, but every time they hang in fresh laundry everything is back to the old mess. So I came up with this idea to hang up a guide inside my closet doors. I'm not completely spoiled; I am going to re-organize everything myself first THEN I'm going to ask the maids to hand stuff in order. The guides are there so neither I nor them will forget to implement this system.

It really does change your closet, and makes it easier to browse different clothing and find what you want faster.

The first picture is the tops rack. You arrange clothing my sleeve type and then by color within the different sleeve categories

The second picture is the pants and skirts rack, and where I also keep lightweight sweaters, cardigans, and jackets. They follow the same system as the tops rack; categorize items by shape and then by color.



P.S sorry for the low quality pics! I was kind of in an oranizational rush!

WISE WORDS: On beautiful things

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."

Helen Keller (1880 - 1968), American author, political activist, author

Can't stop listening to: أول مرة

They just don't make em like this anymore... *sigh*  l

A's Pasta Salad

Last semester, I was in love with the university's make-your-own salad bar. I'd have a salad almost everyday for lunch. Today I decided to make the same salad for dinner. It turned out great! I should've waited a little longer for the pasta to cool completely first though (the top was cool but there were a few warm ones at the bottom). This resulted in soggy lettuce. So don't make the same mistakes I did!

Ingredients:

cooked fussily pasta (drained) – American lettuce – broccoli – feta cheese – cucumbers – sweet corn -  green olives – ranch dressing – Italian dressing – salt and pepper – Tuna (optional)

Mix ingredients together in a bowl and serve. 

p.s. the the portion of each ingredient depends on how big you want the salad or how big the bowl you're going to use.

Bon appetite! 

Hotel Wall Tattoos

What is a hotel wall tattoo?

During an episode of White Collar, one of the characters shares a hotel secret which is wall tattoos. I looked into it, and found out that they are real!

A hotel wall tattoo is hidden art behind the paintings on the walls of a hotel room.

It is credited to a guy names Joshua Homme. He created many hotel wall tattoos while he was touring with Queens of the Stone Age (I'm guessing that's a band).

I think it's really cool! I know the first thing I am going to do if I'm ever in a hotel room this summer is check behind the paintings. I hope I find some. Also, I  will try to do a wall tattoo myself (someday! I think I will, I've taken up drawing this summer so I know I'll be good at it. There's a little part of me that says I shouldn't and that I shouldn't vandalize hotel property... but you never know I may get the courage to do it!

I got the above images from a website documenting secret wall tattoos: http://www.secretwalltattoos.com/index.php

Enjoy!