I know, we’re midway through the month. Though the physical aspects of fasting have not been that bad, I have had serious brain fog. Somehow the words in my brain are having a difficult time traveling to my lips, and in this case, my fingertips. Despite the impairment, I have truly been enjoying Ramadan for the first time in many years. My kids are still too young to fast, so I am focusing on the spirit of generosity and kindness to build their faith. This countdown calendar I bought from Amazon (which is actually a cell phone holder) has treats for the three kids plus a little tidbit of knowledge. The kids have responded really well, probably because of the candy, but I like to think it’s because of the cards.
Building Spirituality as a Mom
As much as I would love to stay up all night to pray and recite Quran, it simply isn’t possible for me with the kids. I used to be really hard on myself about it, but now I set my intentions to include my acts of service as a means of worship as well. Hopefully as they get older and more independent I can incorporate those nights back into my Ramadan routine. But for now, if I can be a little more thoughtful in my prayers and read a few more pages of Quran than usual then I will consider it an improvement.
Ramadan Decorations
A relatively new tradition I have initiated in my family is putting up decorations. I just want my kids to be excited about Ramadan and talk about it a little more than Santa. The good thing about the decorations is that, other than the banner, they can be used for all of our holidays. I plan to keep these up through Eid, as in Eid al Adha. Those star lights were a pain to untangle. Moon and star LED lights and hanging star lights are also from Amazon. Banner is by an Etsy shop called Gupshup Greetings.
The Clothes
Dressing up was always a big part of Ramadan when I was a child. I’m not sure why, but we used to get really dressed up for Iftar parties. I definitely am not doing that as an adult, but it is my one month where I put my Pakistani clothes to use.
I am always so fascinated by the various Ramadan traditions around the world. What are some of yours, old or new?
Leave a Reply