Breaking Our 'Spells'

A while ago, when I was sick and didn’t seem to get better over the weeks - and then months - I remember slowly losing hope over the idea of feeling okay again. It strangely reminded me of how in Disney movies, a Princess would be presented with a spell to break and how it’d take her multiple tries before finally finding the answer to break that spell.

It took Elsa some time to find out that love was the answer to regain control of her ice powers. It took Moana some time to discover that kindness was the way to get to Te Ka who in turn transformed back to Te Fiti.

These references to Disney scenes may come about from me spending too much time with a toddler, but if you think about it, we really ARE the star in our own Disney movies. The tests we are presented with in this life are OUR spells to break.

One of the feelings that started to consume me over the weeks of sickness in bed was loneliness. Even on some alternate days when I was slightly better and slowly able to get up to do some of what I thought were daily mundane tasks, I felt lonely. The feeling crept into me even when I was with my daughter and husband, and I started wondering why.

And then there was one night when I had also regained some physical energy, I felt this strange beautiful feeling while praying with my husband and our daughter. I listened to my husband’s strong and beautiful recitation, and realized that it was probably the first time in quite a while that I felt focused and very much into my prayers. And it felt beautiful to be with my family that way. I felt whole. I had forgotten the loneliness I felt earlier.

I could say that being with my family was the answer to breaking the ‘spell’ I so wanted to break. Or precisely, being with my family working towards Allah. See, I wasn’t really sure of the exact answer. And then I remembered how over the weeks of sickness, I was slacking horribly in my prayers, initially because of my weakening physical state (at least that’s what I told myself). But over time, that slacking-off slowly affected my heart, causing a form of laziness to pray, even when I was slowly getting better physically.

And then so easily, THE answer came to me. ALLAH. I need Allah.

While Disney movies would centre over one particular spell that a heroine needs to break (and understandably so, the story lasts for 90 minutes), we on the other hand will be presented with multiple tests over our period of life here, before we return to our Creator and inshaaAllah get to “happily ever after”. And come what may, no matter what our tests will be, the answer is always easily Allah.

And I am so grateful (again, to Allah) for sending me my husband, my family, to always help me return back to Him, inshaaAllah. I pray we will all (yes, ALL of us, including you readers) will always be there to remind and help each other, inshaaAllah.