"Welcome, Nasim Edwin!"

Nasim Edwin entered the world yesterday with a little complication (he hadn't turned all the way) but we're sure glad he made it here safely. Issame's friend Adil (we call him Vin Diesel) and his wife Vanessa had their first little boy yesterday. Issame and Adil grew up together in Morocco and they've asked us to be Nasim's godparents.

I know the question came up Islam? godparents? You're right, there is no such thing as godparents in the Muslim religion. To the best of my knowledge it only happens in the Catholic church. Two people assume your spiritual responsibilty from the time of Baptism. Why they chose godparents i think is for 2 reasons: 1) Vanessa is Puerto Rican and I think it plays more of a culturally role than a religious one and b) they originally asked us to be legal guardians which we thought was a pretty heavy request considering well, considering a whole lot of things. I know why they picked us, because we're a culurally mixed couple and over the past year or so, we've all kind if gotten a little bit closer together. We understand the struggles and challenges they go through with society, family and friends. Plus according to other people's eyes, Issame & I make all this look easy. Little do they know, heh heh heh! Obviously, those are the people not reading the blog.

Yesterday, my Islamic architecture class met at the largest mosque in New York City to look at the architecture and learn a little something more about Islam. I can't say from a factual end that I learned anything new, but I did learn two new spiritual things about myself. One, this is the right path for me, and not just because Issame's on it too. The whole topic of wearing hajib (the veil) came up and I don't see it as a constricting tool. Heck, if the Virgin Mary can wear it, so can the rest of us right? But it is a challenge because not everyone thinks the same. I also feel like if I'm not wearing it and people engage in conversation with me and then find out I'm muslim, their image and poerspective of the people and the religion change. It's like I infiltrate he infidel lines and teahc them something about myself and maybe themselves as well. I also learned that I need to start praying. You exercise and eat right for your body's health, read and educate yourself for mental health, what about my spiritual health? Maybe I combined totally of 20-30 minutes a day of stopping to wash and then pray. Really not that big if a deal--think about how many crunches I could do or candy bars I could eat or pages from my textbook?

The other thing I learned is that I alone have the power, the authority and the ability to change myself. If I can control my desires for eating for 30 days in Ramadan, why can't I alsways do that and not be overweight? I'm proud of what I accomplished this Ramadan and want to continue to do good things for my body. So why don't I?

Anyway, I'm getting ready to leave for Florida on Tuesday. I'll have more time to blog and post pictures from Morocco (Soufiane: hang in there, Issame is making me a cd with all the photos, I will be sure to send them to you. Sorry it's taken us so long to get it together.). I'll also be working on my 15 page paper about the functions of Ottoman architecture through the eyes of one Lady Mary Wortley Montagu during 1717-1719. What fun!!!