Black and White

Reading about Islam, different people's experiences, trouble, perspectives and self discoveries.

I had a thought. I am a woman, a wife, a Muslim, a feminist and I live freely/ I have a job and it all feels totally possible and reasonable. I feel like people are always coming out from all directions saying you have to make choices between some of these things. But you don't. . . none of them are mutually exclusive. . . as a matter of fact they often compliment each other.

I'm not saying I am perfect at any of them or heck even particularly good. But I try. . . and I believe in all of them. I would like to be totally self-sufficient. . but I'm not  because we all need each other. I have a husband who takes care of me, loves me and supports me and understands me. . . . often he does and I love him more than I could ever imagine. . . however no one can complete us if we can't complete ourselves.

I want to be a role model to my children when they arrive giving them beautiful memories and a strong foundation for life. . . I"ll certainly love them with all of my heart and try my best. . . but I am a person with many flaws and a decent helping of selfishness.

I want to be a good Muslim no a better Muslim and I think that that first and foremost it involves faith and being a good human being. . . I try everyday to work on who I am and who I want to be and what I want to send out into this world.

i struggle with those greedy feelings, anger, resentment and any number of emotions we deal with as human beings.

I truly believe being a good Muslim starts on the inside. It doesn't matter so much what other people think or say. It matters what my heart and my mind tell me are the right direction. There is no black and white. People who try to make everything black and white are doing us a serious disservice. They are doing a serious disservice to Islam.

Seeing life in black and white might make things easier but it also makes us morally lazy. It is easier to condemn than it is to help or to understand. It is easier to try to fit in than it is to try and stand up for what is right. I don't like seeing this happen to Islam. I don't like seeing people silenced and scared about speaking what is in their hearts. We need to learn to praise compassion and not conformity.

I have always admired my grandmother for the utter clarity of her moral compass. She was definitely a believing woman but it has never stopped her from having compassion for others. I think that is a real sign of faith. The person who stands up and fights in the face of injustice even if it doesn't affect them personally. Because the thing is that injustice should affect us all on a personal level. Maybe compassion and at least trying to understand others are the only black and white in this life.