Letters to My Daughter

Joining a board feels like a new beginning, like experiencing a sunrise on a drive to yoga class... at least for me, anyway. I recently joined a nonprofit working committee, and went through the process of recruitment, interviewing, and vetting. I found myself looking for something inspiring beyond my current job or role as a project manager. You've got to know what to ask, and what you're getting into before you make the jump into nonprofit board service. Many board members do not know what they are getting into when they join a board. I have seen boards in which one or more directors actually disagreed with the organization’s mission, had obvious but undeclared conflicts of interest, or knew they would not be able to attend most of the board meetings. It would be correct to blame the organization for recruiting and electing such members but don’t forget the directors accepted the nomination and agreed to serve. If you are invited to join a board, what can you do to be...

This weekend, I experienced a time warp. Both my husband and I attended functions with our high school friends, friends we have known for decades. On Saturday, we joined Andrea and Sarat in Philadelphia's Magic Gardens for a beautiful and unique nondenominational ceremony focused on love. The groom himself wore a traditional Indian shalwar suit, while the bride wore a white dress. Like the couple, the attendees wore whatever made then comfortable and happy. They have been together for a decade, since college, through multiple relocations and careers. I'm inspired by their tenacity and endurance to stay together, to continue to love each other without a sense of obligation, pretense. I've included a picture of the gorgeous couple and unique venue below. On Sunday, I went to Moumita's bridal shower near Long Island, New York. We have known each other since Stuyvesant High School. We shared stories of our youth, of our innocence and stupidity, and celebrated our so c...

Sometimes we need a facelift. It looks like Blogger has a new (inter)face. Since this is the first change I've seen to Blogger since I started 7 years ago, I have decided to start anew, with an introduction.  Hello, my name is Sadia.  I am a Project Manager at a nonprofit consulting organization in New York City. We provide capacity building expertise and strategic consulting in 3 major areas: resource development, governance and special events. I am responsible for tracking outcomes, program support, marketing and communications, and new business development.    I have extensive marketing, program support and monitoring experience in the nonprofit and private sectors. I've basically grown up within the nurturing spaces of NYC nonprofits like South Asian Youth Action, where I served a Board member, and  Sadie Nash Leadership Project , which helps NYC youth become life-long leaders.  My greatest achievement was starting  Remembering...

My weekends, as you know, consist mostly of cooking (you can see my labor manifest in the photo) and catching up on housework. I wash hundreds of plates, cups and pans by hand for our family of 5. I never use the dishwasher, since I would have to load and load it at least 4 times, or wait 80 minute intervals until the cycle ends. Also on the weekends, I relax with my Atlantic monthly at panera bread. I love paying my bills, and analyzing my expenses on mint.com and EEBA. Besides my usual errands and list of responsibilities, this Saturday, I slept for 14 hours straight, from 4pm to 6am the following morning. I was so tired, my molecules were so in need of repair, that I was knocked out for an entire day. This was the source of grief in my household. Every weekend, my husband naps for 2-3 hours, after each game, so sometimes 4-6 hours total between Saturday and Sunday. I had an early night--4pm in the afternoon is a VERY early night--and roughly the same allotment of time except in ...

Last night, my husband and I attended the UPenn MSA Alumni banquet, where we saw some friends that we have grown with over the past 6 years. I remember the first banquet dinner I attended in 2007, when Mohamed and I had gotten back from hajj. As the wife of the alumnus, I felt strange to be there simply as a "wife." There were a few wives I met at that first banquet, and many MANY weddings I have attended since then (maybe 8 Upenn weddings). I witnessed the pool of banquet attendees gradually increase from 30 to 40 to 60, as people got married and started their families.  The only markers of that time that has passed is the children. Once you get married, there really is no other progress to indicate the health of a relationship other than a child--and perhaps the fact that you are still married. It is quite a strange deliverable and marker, but I believe this is the marker set by my particular community. After 6 years, I am at times still struggling in this role of "w...