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6 things to do before I die
Posted under wishlistI never get tagged for memes. Not that that’s suprising, since I’m usually to shy to comment on blogs, and as such, don’t build any sort of relationship with other bloggers. So, I’ve decided to break all blogging convention and do a meme or 2 that I’ve seen in recent days on across the interwebs.
The “6 things to do before I die” meme is actually quite timely. Just last weekend, I was visiting friends and the movie the bucket list came up, in which 2 chronically ill old men escape from a healthcare facility do the things they want to do in life (I think). My friends thought that making a bucket list sounded like a good idea, and they were all suprised that I already had one:
1.  Be a wali Allah - can I even put this on a list? Is this something people can publically aspire to?Â
2. Make hajj - I can’t articulate my longing to see the kaba and to visit the Prophet (saws). Malcolm X’s letters from Mecca were one of the things that drew me close to Islam. I gave a presentation on hajj for my religious writing class in college using Malcolm’s letters, and by the end I was balling. I couldn’t explain the increadible pull the Haraam has, and my classmates ended up thinking I had a loose screw or two.
3. Learn arabic, classical and modern standard - so I can both read the words of Allah (swt) and communicate with my in laws. Just as communicating with my MIL and SIL using my husband as an interpreter is akward, so too is reading the Qur’an via the translation of others. This may perhaps be my most difficult goal. I suck at languages. At first, I thought it was just a matter of finding the right one - I’ve taken spanish, russian, french and finally arabic. Alas, I have determined I just don’t have a gift for languages, and am too lazy to do all the work that is necessary to master one. inshaAllah Allah (swt) will give me the tawfiq to overcome the bumps in the road towards this goal.
4. Run a marathon. I despised all things physical until about 2 years ago. Running “the mile” in school was positively the worst day each school year. When I graduated from high school, I swore I would never run again, unless I was being chased by an ax murderer or a very scary dog. Then, my health started to go downhill and I began to search for any physical activity I could do on a limited budget. I finally ended up with running. Thanks to the penguin philosophy of Jon Bingham, I no longer feel the need to try to run really really fast. I waddle along at my own pace, and enjoy the run. ‘Course, ever runner needs goals, and mine is a marathon. If I can move myself 26.2 miles on my own to feet, I can do anything. Plus, it will help to keep me healthy for my first goal, which I intend to do completely on foot, inshaAllah.
5. Get healthy - or in other words, maintain a healthy, not over, and lower the cholesterol and blood pressure levels to within the healthy limits. While I was pudgy as a teenager, I was convinced I was fat fat fat. Unforunately, it became a self fulfilling prophecy, cuz now I am fat, le sigh. Along with that, my family’s poor medical history is dragging me down the path of an early heart attack. I’ve been struggling to get healthy for a few years now, and losing the battle, but inshaAllah one day I’ll make it. I’m back running regularly, after a few month hiatus, and with my new meat minimalist resolve, inshaAllah it is possible.
6. Travel the world with the husband. My sister is on an around the world trip at the moment (presently in Mumbai), and I’m extremely jealous.  Thus, inshaAllah I’d like to travel to each of the 7 continents at some point in my life, including antartica, where I will possible like to run a marathon (if my cold induced asthma ever gets under control). Heck, if I get really ambitious, I’d like to be the first hijabi to run a marathon on all 7 continents.
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