Happy Eve of Eve

I can't believe it's the eve of New Year's eve. New beginnings once more?

This year I spent a lot of time thinking about death. It is not that I have a morbid fascination with the afterlife and the grave but this year so many people I know passed away. Some young, some old - some were just babies in the womb. With Benazir Bhutto also put to rest, I thought, "so she did end up dying, after all that." Maybe it's because I also have children now (as opposed to 1 child) and I worry about them and think about them all the time.

Insha'Allah I will be sending my toddler to pre-school in a couple of days time and I worry about her even more. Maybe it is because the crime rate continues to rise and bad news overshadows happy stories in the tabloids.

I think about the older people who have fallen ill and passed on and I worry about my relatively young parents who seem to be getting older by the day. I wonder if I would be able to take care of them as they make less and less sense.

I don't want to kick the new year off with a dark cloud hanging over my head. I started 2007 on a positive, somewhat shaky note, leaving my career and all that. Alhamdulillah it turned out well despite the bumpy path it took that brings me to blog tonight.

Death is a certainty, all Muslims know that. In fact, all religions know that and no matter how many contemporary issues end up in debates and dialogues, mankind are united when it comes to agreeing that death will happen, no matter what.

What if we link hands and dance around in a circle chanting "death is certain" this new year instead of "celebrating" in the normal myriads of customs. Maybe that would be a good start for world peace. That's ironic, considering all the problems we are facing - especially those embalmed in death - killings, honour killings, murders, suicide bombers, serial slayers and not to mention natural disasters!

I don't mean to be morbid, I don't. But as good as 2007 was for me, and insha'Allah for many, many Muslims and nonMuslims around the world suffered in the bloody hands of violence. If there are any initiatives that will not end in futile struggles, I am sure that many are looking forward to changes in 2008.

So I will say a short du'a for all Muslims and nonMuslims alike to be able to live in peace, without fear and stress, apprehension and depression. I pray for everyone to achieve their dreams and work towards making our little world, a little happier each day.