Learning to be a better person

We stopped by a shop to get some coffee packs for my husband. Adhan zohor, the call for afternoon prayer or rather Friday prayer since today is Friday, can be heard from a far. I commented to my daughter that the shop was still open. The owner should be going to the mosque to perform the compulsory prayer by now. Why was the shop still open? Anyway I went down from the car and search for the product that I wanted. That was when I noticed a lady behind the counter. Ooopppsss... this mean that the owner is no longer around. Probably in the mosque already. Astagfirullah....please Allah please forgive me for thinking badly about the male owner. After paying for the products I hopped back into the car.

My daughter told me an incident that happened to her about an hour ago. She was in a shop looking for something with her classmates. There was a male student inside the shop. He was holding a cigarette in one hand and reaching out to my daughter's face with the other hand. Luckily my daughter managed to duck just in time. That made me feel furious. I asked my daughter did she said something in retaliation? She said no because she is in the process of learning to increase her patience. That statement struck me. I complimented her on her struggle to contain her anger. And I said I'm learning too, learning to think positively about everyone and not to jump into hasty conclusion.

Thank you Allah. I feel that my daughter and I are in your guidance. We are both consciously trying to improve our known weaknesses. And we have no strength what soever except the strength that You have given us. Give us the strength to identify our weaknesses and give us the strength to improve our weaknesses. Amin.

May Allah bless us all.

duck - lower the head or the body quickly to avoid a blow or so as not to be seen

retaliation - make an attack or assault in return for a similar attack : the blow stung and she retaliated immediately.

compliment - a polite expression of praise or admiration : she paid me an enormous compliment.