Wow! How time flies when you're in seclusion.... Hahahahaaa... Yes, I am enjoying the solitude and peace of mind. But my heart keeps flying back to my family back home. I miss hubby and my baby girls...
Falling asleep last night was pretty easy when compared to the many years of struggling with circadian rhythm disorder and anxiety. Although I have to admit that walking up and down Penang Road almost reminded me of Oxford Street of London (NOT!), my sleepiness was contributed by the cough syrup I was taking to get rid of the nagging phlegm in my chest. Nothing serious. Just the ordinary stuff that comes to visit me once in a blue moon.
Right around 5 am, I was awakened by my guardian angel, i guess... to perform my solat tahajjud, did some zikir and waited for subuh to arrive. I planned on going back to bed right after all these prayers and remembrances were done. But my mind had a different plan of its own. So I went on with my zikir and finally fell asleep again after sunrise. With my earplugs in place, I couldn't hear the snoring of the some chinese men next to my room. But I also missed a few phone calls and was late in replying some text messages. Apparently, by the time I looked at my watch, I realized that I had missed breakfast (which is only served until 10.30 am) and so I made a conscious decision to continue sleeping.
The zohor call for prayers from the nearby mosques woke me up from my precious slumber and I quickly said hello to God and told HIm how much I love Him and is grateful for another day to live...and sleep in... ;o) After reading some very interesting and relevant books pertaining to spiritual retreats, I dived deep into the subject matter until asar came. By then, my tummy was literally grumbling really loudly!
So, I scooted off to the mamak joint across the hotel and had two delicious nasi lemak bungkus and a glass of iced tea to wash it down. Wonderful simple pleasures deserving of deep gratitude to Alllah. Later, I took another stroll down Penang Road to do some shopping for my girls. What a great idea to walk off the calories I had just devoured!
It is already 1.02 am here and I can barely keep my eyes open. But because I promised myself to blog my progress and activities during my retreat, I diligently pound away my fingers on the keyboard of my macBook to relate my relatively un-interesting and rather dull day. What am I grateful for today? The nasi lemak bungkus and the sleepiness it has induced in me. Bliss! I can't wait to see what Allah has in store for me tomorrow. I shall end this entry with something I read in a book that resonated within me throughout my day today.
Love of the World
An Islamic tradition attributed to Jesus a.s. states, "The world is a bridge; so pass over it to the next world, but do not try to build on it."
- Purification of the Heart by Hamza Yusuf.
No comments:
Post a Comment