As for the earth, We spread it out and placed upon it firm mountains, and caused everything to grow there in perfect balance (Quran 15:19)
— English by Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
Balance
When We Walked Together
For a long while I walked
with you by my side
only to realize
that our paths will never cross
Enjoy the view
my friend
this is all
you will ever have
Thanks
Thanks for sharing all your stories, big and small. Thanks for always coming through, and for surprising me when I least expect it. Thanks for your patience even in moments of stress. Thanks for always trying, and for your friendship.
Imperfect
The landscape lay before me like a painting.
If there could ever exist a perfect painting, that is.
But no human creation could possess such beauty.
Such blend of form and function.
None.
Taking it all in, I saw the final photograph in my mind’s eye.
A beautiful piece of art, able to stir in the viewers heart,
the same emotions that I felt inside me.
A frozen moment in time,
capturing forever the brilliance of the scene before me.
It pained me though, to realize that I could never make that happen.
How could I ever capture the grandness of it all?
The smell of moss in the air.
The sound of grass rippling in the water by the gentle breeze.
Then softness of the ground.
No matter how good the gear,
or how advanced the tools,
I would not succeed.
No, a photograph would be but a poor portrayal of my experience
of nature’s magnificent spectacle
When You Were Loved
When every dream
has turned to dust,
and your highest hopes
no longer soar.
When places you
once yearned to see,
grow further away
on distant shores.
When every night
you close your eyes,
and long inside
for something more.
Remember this
and only this,
if nothing else
you can recall—
There was a life
a girl once led,
where you were loved
the most of all.
– Text from “When”, in Lullabies, by Lang Leav
En Route to Gaustatoppen
Gaustatoppen, considered by many to be the most beautiful mountain in Norway, towers above the town of Rjukan at an altitude of 1883 meters (6178 feet). The views from the top, as well as along the route, are stunning, and on a clear day, hikers can see one sixth of Norway from the summit!
The mountain is a popular destination for Norwegians, something I got to experience a few weeks ago. There was a constant stream of people all along the route. So many that there was a queue.
Many parents had brought their children along, the youngest ones walking, only three or four years old. Many of the children were crying and begging their parents to be carried, or simply refusing to go on. Most of the parents were ignoring their cries and telling them to keep going. This is something they simply had to do, and crying or yelling would definitely not help!
So en route to the summit of Gaustatoppen, with a backdrop of majestic Norwegian mountains, I got to witness the meticulous efforts of some parents to transfer what they believe to be core Norwegian values to the next generation. It was interesting to see how parents will always choose what they think is best for their children, no matter how much the little ones oppose.
Sad Things
Why do you write sad things? he asked. When I am here, when I love you.
Because someday, in one way or another, you will be taken from me or I you. It is inevitable. But please understand; from the moment I met you, I stopped writing for the past. I no longer write for the present. When I write sad things, I am writing for the future.
– Text from Lullabies, by Lang Leav