Beautiful Women

I am busy compiling a photobook for Sumayah. I realised that while Bilaal has albums of printed photographs, Sumayah has but the handful we printed for the frames on our walls. And she loves looking at Bilaal's baby albums, sometimes pretending they are her pictures. So I thought I owe it to her to make her her very own baby album at least before yet another baby arrives to compete for some of her much loved attention. So for the past 2 months I've been painstakingly sifting through all the digital copies of photographs taken over the last three and a half years since she was born. Of course with family living far away there are not that many of her with her grandparents, or aunts and uncles. So I asked my sister to send me any photos she had of Sumayah and she sent me the most beautiful pictures from her wedding day just over two years ago. And it got me thinking about the beautiful women in my life and how fortunate I am to have had them be part of my life, helping to shape who I am today. Sumayah often asks me to read Sleeping Beauty as a bedtime story and I think about how the good fairies came to the princess's christening bearing gifts of wisdom, beauty, kindness, etc and how my mom and sister are like my very own good fairies.

We are all three of us so different to each other in so many ways, but also so similar in the ways that really count. Much of that stems from my beautiful mother. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but is also one of those selfess and truly sincere individuals, whose purity of heart and brightness of soul radiates from her. Anyone who knows my mother even for a short time will describe her as a wonderful, caring person. One of the many valuable lessons I can take from her example is her work ethic. When my mom commits to doing something she gives it 200%. She always goes the extra mile expecting nothing in return. She does everything with passion and enthusiasm and is determined to do the best despitevany challenges she may encounter. She truly is a remarkable human being and I love her like crazy. I can only dream that I will possess even half of the beauty she posses inside. Then there is my younger sister. I have always admired her spunk and individuality. She is also an incredibly creative soul who also perceives the world with passion. Firdous is also one of those people you would be lucky to call a friend...she is cares deeply for her friends, is loyal, and is the is the one you go to when you need a listening ear. One of the things she and my mom share in common which I always admire is that they are very loving and affectionate women. They know how to make people feel special and are always looking for cute, quirky and funny ways to do so. She may be my younger sister who looks up to me, but in truth I have tons to learn from her too.