Personal Essays
Pakistan on the Potomac
“Being a cross-cultural parent in Washington can mean teaching your children the Koran — and then carpooling them to hip-hop…
December 1, 2018Featured Posts and Latest Stories
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Refelections30 days 30 refugee stories
Each Ramadan for the past seven years, I’ve been keeping a blog to share the essence of the month.…
June 23, 2017 -
Personal EssaysNot My Mother’s Ramadan
“This annual spiritual journey is boot camp for my soul.” It’s predawn on the first day of Ramadan, 2009.…
July 1, 2010 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersSpeak usefully
My father-in-law is a man of few words; but when he does speak, it always adds to the conversation,…
June 19, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersPower of prayers
Today is my father-in-law’s 85th birthday. Happy Birthday Abbu! The milestone was an opportunity for Arif to share some reflections…
June 18, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersShow, not tell
Dr. Khala shared something that she learned from her father (my Nana) – that you’re more likely to do…
June 11, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersAll in the Family
One of the biggest blessings of living in the DC area is that it’s a ‘hub’ for our family;…
June 9, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersGratitude
“I experienced my family’s many ups and downs throughout my childhood,” Munia apa says. “Through it all Abba always…
June 2, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersOf grandmothers and joy
Eboo has been a supporter of the 30 days 30 deeds blog from the first year it started, in…
June 2, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersRedefining Success
Tarek Elgawhary remembers a wisdom about success and failure that his teacher Dr. Ali Gomaa taught him when he…
June 1, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersSpeak gently with yourself
“I’ve always been hard on myself, about my career or not reading enough or going to bed too late,…
May 29, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersRemember this
Mami Jaan was 16 years old when she was selected for the Girl Scout Roundup, from Pakistan, and invited…
May 28, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersThe world as art
During the 30-minute car ride from my father’s Janaza (funeral) prayer to the cemetery where he would be buried,…
May 27, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersPersonal brand
Zayd and I were running errands to set up for a pre-prom photo opp with his friends at our…
May 25, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersDon’t let them down
Principal Akbar Cook of West Side High in Newark, NJ is on a roll. Last year, he installed five…
May 24, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersImagine you can
Muddassar’s father died when he was 13 years old. “I don’t have that many clear memories of him,” Muddassar…
May 22, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersMaking kindness a habit
Kazi Mannan grew up in poverty in a small village in Pakistan, without electricity or running water, one of…
May 20, 2019 -
30 Wisdoms From EldersBe strong and study
“We had a beautiful life, beautiful house, beautiful big family,” Noor tells me about her life in Syria. She,…
May 18, 2019
