Soul: Wish

I wish I may
I wish I might
Be with you
On this fine night

Snow falls at morn
Excitement fills the air
Crowds pack the church
Quickly does the gift wrap tear

It's the night before
The eve of wishes
Of joys and laughter
Of hugs and of kisses.

Body: Battle

It's a battlefield in there
Some dumb, some straight
It's me against them
Take on 50, 20, or 8

One at a time, I show off my strength
I lift, I bow, I bend
A glance in the mirror
It's my ego that I fend

The wounds are few and far between
As much as it pains me
That little red sore
How it makes me giddy

The battle is sometimes long
And othertimes short and sweet
But no matter what
Return to that place, will my feet

Mind: Education as a means of Emancipation

Jamilah is a Kindergartener beginning her studies this week at a private Catholic Elementary School in the USA that her family chose for her after visiting several schools she had to choose from. Her experience is in bold below.

Niknaz is a graduate of the Baha’i Institute of Higher Education — the open university established to educate Baha’i youth who have been banned from the state-run colleges in Iran. She was interviewed about what it was like to study at the BIHE – her responses are in italics below.

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She awoke from her bed, eager and excited to attend school. “The teacher has curly hair like me” she exclaimed.

Every day of studying at the BIHE involves risk factors and restrictions.

“You don’t need to come with me, I can wait for the bus alone.” She boarded the bus without a fear and waved bye.

We were always very careful to avoid traffic while going and coming out of the house, not to attract any attention.

On the bus she made friends with the boys, “I already made friends with those boys” she exclaimed. The bus took over an hour to get to school, but she will only ride the bus once a day in the morning.

Sometimes for attending two classes in one day, I had to go from one class in the north of Tehran to another class in the south.

The bus arrived safely to the clean school building – the same one she had visited several times before in preparation for the first day of school.

Our classes were held at homes and the university was underground.

Friendly teachers stood outside to show her where to line up and to guide her to her classroom.

I did not study in a normal classroom like everybody else in America.

“Tomorrow,” they said, “You will set your back-packs here, play in the playground, and when the bell rings, you will line up again here to go to class.”

Every day, I did not know if tomorrow my university will be there or not.

Each day would be the same morning routine, and each day Mrs B would be there to greet her when she gets off the bus.

Every day the fear existed that our professors would be arrested and our equipments confiscated.

When she arrives to her classroom each day, Mrs S will greet her upon entering and she will hang her backpack on the same hook, and sit at the same table she sat at the day before.

There was no permanent place for our classes and workshops.

And when it comes the time for her scheduled gym, library, computer, music, or Spanish class – there will be a separate fully equipped classroom for her to go to.

Many Bahai homes and their basements, big or small, and the professors’ offices and workplaces, were ready to instantly turn into classrooms and studios and labs.

She, as a student, will be happy, under any circumstance, whether there isn’t enough strawberries in her lunch box, whether the teacher mispronounces her name, whether the smart board only has four pens, it won’t matter her mind is ready to learn.

We as students were happy under any circumstance, whether there were enough chairs or we had to sit on the floor; whether the room was spacious or cramped, whether, there was an overhead projector or a whiteboard, would not matter and our minds were ready to learn.

For more information on the persecution of Baha’is in Iran, please visit http://iran.bahai.us

Soul: Roses

The roses were brought from over 40mi away.
They arrived in the hands of a man
Eager to share with the woman he loved
A symbol of the love they shared.

The roses stood strong in nourished fresh water
Witnessing the comings and goings of that home
And then, all of a sudden, all become silent and still
The woman was gone, the roses stood alone.

One by one, those roses began to wilt
The woman had left the roses to explore
The love for God that grew continually within her heart
The roses longed to understand how come

The rose within her heart never seemed to wilt
It didn't need companionship, nor fresh water
It's existence was not conditional on nourishment
It was self sufficient and ever-giving

A few days past by, and the woman returned to that home
The roses remained on the table, wilted and still
Whilst the rose in heart shone radiantly from within
What did those roses symbolize now?

The woman had not needed the roses while away,
But it seems they had needed her
Had the roses sought refuge in her home?
Had the roses come to expect the care?

The woman glanced at the roses,
And a few... seemed to glance back at her
Those few symbolized faith, hope, and patience
The rest laid limp and still, never to be known what they symbolized

And the conflict ensued
Should she keep those that stood alive
And toss the dead among them?
Would the few be able to stand strong alone?

If she pours out the old water, and refreshes with new
Will those roses come to expect that each time they wilt
New water and nourishment will always be there
What if she doesn't always have fresh water to provide?

Yet is to be known what will come of those roses
As that woman stares and ponders
Only the rose shining within her has a glimpse of what's to come
And she prays that rose will offer but a sign

Or a note, from which she can make the tune
Or a stroke, from which she can complete the painting
Oh Dear Rose, be these roses tried and true
Eternal, let them stand side by side with you.

Mind: I want...

...a few more hours in each day...
so that I can write on my blog more frequently.

I can't believe it's already June -- hopefully work will let up soon so that I can start sharing with you some stories/reflections. Thank you for stopping by and checking in -- sorry I don't have any new posts, but feel free to check out the oldies-but-goodies from the past.

Check back again soon!

Dominique

Soul: Spirit's Springtime

A new day has dawned,
Now is the time for renewal
The weary may have yawned
They now work to polish each jewel

The blossoming tree
And the wilting flower
Abide in harmony
Shaded by the same tower

Those that seek direction
Look within first
And find truth in reflection
For more, they thirst

Roots spread out and deep
Into that which grounds them
Quenched and nourished, clarity they reap
Once a stone, now seemingly a gem

And whilst they were turned within, with care
The sun still shone radiantly down
And although that flower may not have been aware
It's petals no longer did frown

To harvest, one must sew
A crop so fruitful, one may find
To reap, one must hoe
Must love, be patient and kind.

Mind: Spring into Action

A blank piece of paper
Bright crayons within grasp
Images crisp and clear
A mind does clasp

A new day, a new dawn
Sky blue, grass green
Signs of birth and renewal
A vibrant scene

A bird's tweet at dawn
Children playing in the playground
Tunes energetic and upbeat
A hopeful and optimistic sound

A kite in the sky, a ball on the field
Bare feet brushing through grass
Tokens of joy and recreation
A smirk, a smile, some sass

A mother fills her pot with plants
Fathers tune up bikes and get out tools
Emblems of love and anticipation
A warmth felt as the wind cools

A farmer prepares for the annual yield
Accountants plan and forecast
Efforts intense and concentrated
A fish is caught if the line is well cast

A list of goals and steps to take
Excitement gleaming in eyes
Skills honed and strengthened
A vision of soaring through skies

Body: For the Love of God

No Really...We do it for the Lord. When you lift, when you run, when you lunge -- your spirit and mind are filled with energy as you test your body beyond it's capacity. During the fast, I urge you to continue to push your body beyond the limits of comfort -- you may be surprised what what you are capable of.

"Grant, O my Lord, that this fast may become a river of life-giving waters and may yield the virtue wherewith Thou hast endowed it. Do Thou accept all that we have done for love of Thee..." —Bahá’u’lláh

Please share your workouts during the fast in the comments below.

With Him, all things are made possible -- wishing you wellness and fitness for many days, months, and years to come.

I will start us off -- last night the hour of fast breaking was around 6pm, having had no drink or food since 6:45am, I took a sip of water at the fast breaking hour and headed to Boot Camp for 45min, then 30min Elliptical Interval training, and then 30min Kettlebells routine. I then drove home, put my daughter to bed, and broke the Fast with a vegetable soup at 8:35pm. -- For the Love of God.

Soul: Gift of Cheer and Virtues

Jamilah brought gifts to her school for Ayyam-i-Ha... those gifts were:

A Radiant Smile of Joy and Cheer
A Mom to Read
A Book about Ayyam-i-Ha
Crowns and Virtues to Adorn them With
Playdough Tubs for Each Child
Description for the Parents

For Books about Ayyam-i-Ha, please visit http://www.enablemetogrow.com/2012/02/18/ayyam-i-ha-books/

We used a version of Isabella Ruiter's book and would definitely recommend it. After reading the story, we talked about how God gave us the gifts of virtues which are like jewels on the crowns of our hearts. We then  decorated crowns -- for this project, you just need the below mentioned crowns, virtues, sequins, glue sticks, plates for the sequins and virtues, and masking tape to secure the crown in the correct fitting around the child's head once they have decorated it. As we taped the crown, we read the virtues the child had selected to them. When the crowns were complete and  each child was proudly wearing their virtues, they lined up to receive gifts from Jamilah since her holiday is a gift-giving holiday. She gave each child a play-dough to take home. We then slipped the descriptions for the parents into the childrens' take-home folders -- also included below.

For the Crowns:
I took posterboard and cut 4-5" strips along the 22" side so each strip was 4-5" x 22".
I then cut the zig zags down the middle of each strip to make two crowns. Each posterboard makes 12-14 crowns depending on how tall you would like the crowns. The 22" width of posterboard is perfect length to fit toddlers and preschoolers' heads.

For the Virtues:
I printed the following onto colorful cardstock and cut out each virtue/jewel.

Description for Parents:

HAPPY AYYAM-I-HA!

Ayyam-i-Ha (Days of Joy) is a Baha’i holiday and gift-giving time that is celebrated Feb 26 - Mar 1^st. The Baha’i calendar is composed of 19 months of 19 days in each month. To align with the Gregorian calendar, there are 4-5 ‘intercalary’ days (5 if a leap year) that bring the total number of days to 365. Baha’is celebrate the holiday by providing “good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy.” They also use this time to prepare for the 19-day fating period beginning Mar 2^nd. Jamilah’s family wanted to share their holiday with their friends at Sunshine Valley. We hope the kids enjoy the gifts and crowns!

Body: Firms The Abs

Ayyam-i-Ha, the days of Joy
The days of Ha, Time to enjoy
We are called to "provide good cheer"
And most certainly without wine or beer

Enjoy a cookie, share a smile
Wear confidence with style
Turn to the Lord for He is good
May his light shine o'er your 'hood

The sound of joy can be heard for miles
Laughter rings out veiling life's trials
It warms the heart and firms the abs
Transforming those confronting the drabs

Squat and stand your ground
Breathe, tranquility found
Laugh, stretch, and release
You may have found inner peace