Ever since a serious self-questioning about religion during my teen years, I left the concept of religion unresolved. I developed myself into someone who doesn’t seek the meaning of life in religion. For me, religion is an optional choice, like being a vegetarian, which I am not by the way. People can choose to follow a religion or they can choose not to. I don’t see it as a must-choice for every human being.
However, my mother-in-law is a serious Muslim and she wanted a original Muslim daughter-in-law but her first one is me, a converted one. If I had committed to another religion, it might’ve been a big problem for me, but it doesn’t matter what religion I belong to. I’ve found that the core of every religion is all same. Be good, don’t hurt someone else physically or mentally, don’t take advantage of others, don’t steal, don’t lie, blah blah blah.
So here I am on the third Sunday of March with my mother-in-law who is arranging her annual huge religious gathering in Mississauga. I had to be there as her daughter-in-law. The gathering was held in Urdu and I had no idea what was going on. I was hoping that there might be enough errands or work for me to do so that I wouldn’t be bored. Unfortunately I had nothing to do except sitting and taking pictures from time to time.
The event started with counting kidney beans while reciting something muslim from the Quran maybe. I was making shapes like houses and animals with the beans until someone took all the beans away to start the actual event. Mom was the MC and under her supervision many recitation and stuff went on and on and on.. I could see some people pointing at me and my mother-in-law. I guessed they were talking about me being her daughter-in-law. How outstanding it was an Asian girl wearing Pakistani traditional clothes and being in a muslim gathering in a Pakistani community.
I was so bored by the time the event finally finished after 5 hours. It was the longest and the most serious religious event I have ever been in, even though I didn’t understand a single word. I even lost my appetite to take pictures of food which was served in the end. I called sikander and he arrived a few minutes later with my recent addiction Lifesavers popsicle. Lifesaver really makes me happy. He calls it Marriagesaver haha.
Later I gave one to sunny and he said “this is go~~~~od” hehe spreading my addiction to others is something to feel good about.
