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| Mika's dreams - Ahh... money, money, big TVs... and stairs... lots and lots of stairs! |
Mika and Stairs. While re-hydrating my body's depleted caffeine coursing through my veins this morning, Mikhail the Indomitable (my 8-year old son) shared with me some thoughts...
"You know, Papa..." said Mikhail, "Uncle Chad (my ex-wife's brother-in-law married to Mika's aunt, Rogayah. They are living in North Dakota,USA) is rich, and he earns a lot of money as a postman!" So I asked Mika how he knew that.
"I know he's rich because in his house, they have two TVs, Papa. And they are huge! And also his house has lots of stairs."
"Stairs?"
With big-googly eyes Mika expressed his astonishment at Chad's richness in stairs. "Yes, Papa! They have so many stairs! Even the toilet has stairs!"
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Mika the Younger. I guess different people have different criteria for wealth. That stairs-fixation of Mika is not actually that far off from reality. During the time of William Pitt the Younger, Prime Minister of England in the 1800s, one of the ways he tried to balance the national budget (and he succeeded!) was to raise taxes through window taxes. Homeowners have to pay for the number of windows that adorn their houses. I guess if Mika became Prime Minister, he would probably tax people's stairs.
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| Tax on stairs? Damn, I wished I thought of that! |
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True Richness. An ancient friend dropped by this morning. He was talking about fortunes, good and bad. He just came across a good fortune and was musing (as ancient friends often do..). "I am blessed, I know. But good fortune often comes with baggage. For one, (as if I don't owe God and the Prophet so much already) I feel utterly undeserving of my good luck. I feel there is so many people out there who have either worked harder, more intelligent and generous and certainly not a horrible sinner like me, who probably deserves this good fortune. Yet, it has fallen unto me. Once upon a time, I used to live as if I have nothing to lose. Now there is this fortune sitting in front of me, and God will hold me accountable for every dinar and dirham (my ancient friend's a staunch proponent of the gold and silver money system) that I keep or spend."
Hehehe. There is no pleasing people. In good or bad fortune, they worry about how best they should act to please God and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). But such people are rich already in the Divine Presence whatever their worldly state!
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College Women and Baby-ness. Yesterday Mika confided in me that he spoke to Adam, his 18-year old cousin who is presently studying Art in college. "Papa, I asked Abang Adam (brother Adam) how it's like in college. He tells me that there are two things to worry over."
"What are they, Mika." I asked.
My son replied, "Work and women."
Mikhail is at that age where he can't stand girls. Girls are yucky. Girls are gross. But he has a soft-spot for Emina, his toddler cousin. "She is soo cute, Papa. I like to lie my head on her tummy." I teased him about it, "Oh ho... you like girls! Emina is a girl!" But Mika clarified the matter for me - "Noooo, Papa! I like her baby-ness. When she grows old, I won't like her anymore."
Oh, I see.
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| Emina. To her parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, she is a beautiful baby girl. To Mikhail, she is a pillow of baby-ness. |
Have a lovely Friday, sunshine. God bless all children of this world.
wa min Allah at-taufiq
Hate has no place in Islam
Love will show the Way
yes, bless them one and all
ReplyDeleteAmeen to that!
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