Sparking Wisdom
I deeply treasure every moment I spend with kids. I admire their innocent actions, their spontaneous behaviours and their sparking wisdom. I vividly remember that it was Ramadan, a month in which Muslims fast from sunrise till sunset, obedient to their God's instructions. One day afternoon, I got out of the house accompanied by my two little nieces: Wissal of 4 years old and Nada of 6 years old. I took them to a nearby garden where they could play freely and noisely without being upraided and scorned by those thirsty and hungry ones in the house. At the threshold of the garden and once the girls spotted out their peers, they left my hand and ran faster than a cyclone to join their friends. There was a mist in front of my eyes, I cleaned my glasses once and twice, but to no avail; the mist was caused by hunger and thirst. Thus, I threw my exhausted body on a cement chair that would allow me surveilling the children while playing. They were very energetic and active. They were moving briskly and indefatigably, jumping nimbly from place to another, and talking ceaselessly. In a certain time while mediating on them, I envied them their peaceful intentions and their childhood. Peculiarly, I realized that Nada was not in shape. She was performing badly in all the games they chose to play. She was wobbling and hardly could restore her equilibrum. Close to my chair, there was a humble, yet decorated table where a myriad of sweeties, gums, cookies and the likes were displayed in a splendid manner. I bought some sweeties and cookies and beckoned to Nada who had already given up from playing to sitting on a chair shaded by a palm tree.
" What's up sweetie? Is there some thing that hurts you?" I probed for understanding.
"No uncle! nothing.. nothing" surely, she refrained from saying.
"Tell me, where is the pain? Here..here...or here" I said while pointing to different parts in her body. Finally, I uncovered the biscuit and handed to her.
"No uncle!! I must not eat .. I am fasting" she said with utter firmness and surprising eyes. I was flabbergasted by her reactionary and wisely tone to which I replied " Really!! This is amazing..who told you to fast".
" My dad. He told me that Muslims must fast from sunrise till sunrise so as to go the paradise" she explained.
" Look dear.. that for the old... like me and your parents...but for chidren like you, and your friends it is not obligatory. So, eat this biscuit and drink this cup of water and then join your friends and I promise not to tell your father and mother that you ate. Is it ok?"
"No, it is not ok uncle" she rolled at me
"Why dear?" I inquired gently.
"Because I am not fasting for the sake of my father and mother...I am fasting for the sake of Allah"
"One day afternoon..." Choose one of these adjectives, either "day" or "afternoon", but not both.
"...Wissal of 4 years old and Nada of 6 years old..." Rewrite to read "Wissal, who is 4 years old, and Nada, who is 6."
"...mediating on them..." Spelling: meditating
"...I envied them their peaceful..." Remove "them".
"...there some thing that..." One word: "something".
"No uncle! nothing.. nothing... Format to" "No, uncle! Nothing...nothing." Surely, she refrained from saying.
"...biscuit and handed it to her."
"No uncle!! I must not eat .. I am fasting" she said ...Format to:
"No uncle! I must not eat. I am fasting," she said with utter firmness and surprising eyes. I was flabbergasted by her reaction and her wise tone, to which I replied, "Really? This is amazing. Who told you to fast?"
"My dad. He told me that Muslims must fast from sunrise till sunrise so as to go the paradise, " she explained.
"Look dear, that is for the old...like your parents and I; but for chidren like you, (Remove) and your friends it is not obligatory. So, eat this biscuit and drink this cup of water and then join your friends and I promise not to tell your father and mother that you ate. Is it ok?"
"No, it is not ok uncle, " she rolled her eyes at me.
"Why dear?" I inquired gently.
"Because I am not fasting for the sake of my father and mother... (Remove) I am fasting for the sake of Allah. "
I hope this helps.
