Real love won’t quit on you!

🌈 1329 – Wednesday, 26 March 2025 00:52

Hyderabad

It’s just past midnight, and I can’t sleep. I tried going to bed earlier, but sleep won’t come. My brother is in the same boat, sitting near the dining table, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. I don’t know what’s on his mind, but I send him love and prayers.

Right now, my only focus is getting through tomorrow—my mother’s 8th and hopefully final chemotherapy session. I’ve been with my parents since January 11, staying by my mother’s side day and night. I’m incredibly grateful to God, my work, and everyone who made it possible for me to be here and take care of her. She still has eight more radiation sessions ahead, but tomorrow is the big milestone. Her last chemo was delayed because her blood levels were too low, even after a transfusion. Thankfully, the latest test results showed significant improvement, so I’m hoping the doctors give the green light.

My brother and I are both restless. He just made himself a coffee in the middle of the night, following his instincts. Meanwhile, I’m taking out my stress by typing this.

It’s 1:01 AM now. The only sounds around me are my father’s soft snoring from his room, the ticking of the clock, and the low hum of the refrigerator. The night has just begun, and so has March 26. Since there’s nothing to write about today yet, let me reflect on yesterday—March 25, 2025.

A Special Day – My Niece’s Aqiqah

Exactly seven days ago, my brother’s daughter, Hawwa (Eve), was born. In Islamic tradition, the Aqiqah ceremony is held on the 7th day—one sheep for a girl and two for a boy. It’s a Sunnah, a tradition passed down for centuries.

I couldn’t bring myself to watch, so I stayed away. Early in the morning, at 9:15 AM, a butcher arrived with a pre-booked sheep. My father attended to him, and my brother joined later. The sacrifice took place on our terrace, under the open sky. They believed it was closer to God that way. It didn’t make sense to me. I couldn’t say no to my father or brother, so I stayed silent, feeling sorry for the sheep that accepted its fate without a sound.

The rest of the day was spent handling the meat—dividing it for family, neighbors, and the poor. The animal was only about 11 kg. This happens every Bakrid, and I usually avoid it, but this time, I had to be home for my mother’s treatment. Despite my discomfort, I found myself cherishing the time with my family. We worked together, chatting and laughing. My mother reminisced about past Aqiqahs, laughing so hard that my brother and I kept asking more questions just to hear her laugh. Seeing her happy was all that mattered—laughter is its own kind of healing.

A Day of Fasting & Preparation

At 6:34 PM, we broke our fast—our 24th day of Ramadan. It went smoothly, though I had a mild headache in the afternoon. My father, brother, and I prayed Asr and Maghrib at home, followed by an early dinner at 7:30 PM.

The rest of the evening was spent preparing for tomorrow. My brother and I went out at 8:00 PM to print my mother’s test results and run some errands. Once home, I packed my bag for the morning, checked my mother’s clothes, and caught up with my sister and sister-in-law. By 10:45 PM, we all headed to bed, but sleep still wouldn’t come.

Here I am, writing while my brother sits lost in thought. But whatever happens, we’re in this together.

To anyone going through a tough time right now—I send you love.

Three Things I’m Grateful for Today:

• This space to write when I can’t sleep.

• Whoever invented air conditioning—it’s almost 40°C outside, but cool inside.

• The hope that tomorrow will be my mother’s last chemo ever.

Around the rest of the world today:

• Israel and Hamas war – Today Israel announced plans to seize more territory in Gaza and continue military operations until Hamas releases all remaining hostages. The intensified Israeli airstrikes have resulted in over 50,000 Palestinian deaths since the conflict began. In response, Egypt proposed a new ceasefire plan, urging Hamas to provide information about the hostages in exchange for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.

• The United States announced it had brokered a limited ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, focusing on halting military actions in the Black Sea to ensure safe navigation for shipping. The deal includes U.S. assistance to Russia in enhancing its agricultural exports and restoring access to international payment systems, specifically SWIFT, despite opposition from European allies who favor maintaining banking sanctions.

• Nvidia unveiled its latest next-generation AI chips, Blackwell Ultra and Vera Rubin, at GTC 2025, marking significant progress in AI hardware development.

What would it take for me and for you to wake up 10 x times bigger, stronger, muscular, more focused, wake up sharp, do some pushups as soon we get up, everything to be okay with family, friends and everyone around then have a relaxing, relaxing, relaxing yet a productive day tomorrow?

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Goodnight, good luck!

Ash Khaleem