Bismillah irAHman uraheeem. Alhamdullilah, I was married on Memorial Day Weekend, May 28th, 2006. It was a ceremony that brought together two dynamic families, amazing friends of two dynamic individuals, and was witnessed by over 500 guests in attendance at the Long Island Sheraton. I felt like a passenger in much of the event planning, the details, the mayhem of the wedding. But alhamdullilah, alhamdullilah, alhamdullilah. It has been a wonderful first month of marriage, full of surprises, cries of happiness, and moments of total amazement at the will of Allah talla. Of all the guests in attendance, there are several women I would like to dedicate this entry to, the women who supported, and guided me on the chaotic days leading up to my bethrothal, and without whom I would probably still be trying to put on my holud sari. First is my mother, Nargis Z. Kalam, a mother of 20 years, a wife of 22 years, an elementary school teacher, and the greatest woman I have ever known. She always pu...
I began writing as an outlet for narcissism but found that blogging was more about the people in my world than about me. I am at my core a writer and educator with interests in community- building, social justice, markets, philanthropy, and academia. I am forging a path with your Dad, who I got to know mostly through the comments section of this blog. This is my story, and I'm happy to share it with you, my daughter.