May, the third, was a day which caused me to announce: Today, my morning wasn’t just “good”—it was blessed, explaining. I’ve spent a lot of time lately processing the past, but today I realized that the best way to honor my journey is to simply live it. I’ve officially shelved the “riffraff” and replaced it with momentum.
This is what happened on May 3, 2026. I awoke in the worst mood ever. Prayed Fajr prayer repenting not only for my sins but also for my headlessness. I slowly inched my way to the window and saw to my utter amazement, a full moon in all its glory. I grabbed my iPhone – took several shots but did not feel is was possible to capture that moon in all of its glory. Drank my first cup of coffee for the morning and headed down to the eighth floor to waterwalk. Of course took my phone with me. There are two infinity pools on the eighth floor – one for adults and one for children. I water walk in the children’s pool Comfortably ensconced in one of the chaise lounges I began to edit the moon shots I had taken.
(By the way ensconced means: establish or settle (someone) in a comfortable, safe, or secret place. Therefore a perfect word, Yeah Me!)
Much to my wonder and amazement the moon shots were retrievable – used different filters on the hastily taken photos. My first attempt – to use a black and white filter. Joyously I sent it to my WhatsAppers with the following caption: ‘Good morning. Look at the full moon that greeted me. I am greeting you. Alhamdulillah.”
This brought a flurry of responses. To make a long story short – I was reaching out to people with my “moon shots”—those big, audacious goals that make your heart race a little. The response? Incredible. The feedback has been a flood of validation and encouragement, proving that when you put brave energy out into the universe, it finds its way back to you.
Now I will make the short story long. Hahaha I began receiving responses almost immediately.
He: Blessed Sunday Alexis
Me: I woke up this morning in a rotten mood. Prayed, then looked out the window and saw the full moon. It immediately filled me with delight. Took a series of photos editing them.
All the people that responded got another photo with this caption. “A different moment with different editing it is amazing what one can do with Allah’s creations.”
She: I love the rust color.
To those that continued to respond I sent another photo with this caption: “Then this one capturing the beginning of daylight.”
She: Always love seeing the change of day and night
Me: Me too and somehow I captured it. Mashallah.
Then I got an altogether different response, a GIF, which I cannot replicate at the moment but it was a a woman dancing in front of a moon. It was rather amazing.
Me: My goodness! Look at you. How amazing I am going to send it to others.
Of course I did with this caption: “Mohammed sense this to me. Not Muhammed (PBUH) but Mohammed (Belly Deli) hahaha 😝”
This was another response to my moon shot.
He: Your moon came first to say hello. So here’s my smile for you to know. 😀Good morning to you, bright and true. Sending warm happy vibes back to you. 🥰
Of course I absolutely had to respond.
Me: I did not know you could rhyme. Thought you did not have the time. Working so hard for a thin dime. I knew you would be fine. Because you are so kind. And never out of line.
Meantime, Back at the Affinity Pool.
Initially I was at the pool alone.
Me: I am up at the infinity pool where I water walk. Gotta get at it. I am totally alone.
He: So early.that is why you are alone.
Me: This is not early to a Muslim.
He: Yup
Me: And besides it gets hotter later in the day. Gotta get it over with.
He Yeahhhh
Me: Especially for a Canadian. Hahaha
He: Hahahaha
Me: Not funny if I melt.
A few minutes later I had company. Two men (who were brothers I later found out) with two kids – a six year old little girl and a three year old little boy. They set to work – blowing up water wings for the kids, placing them on the kid’s arms. One man, the father got in the water. The young girl immediately and joyfully jumped in the pool (the adult pool, I was in the kids pool)
She loved the water, was not afraid – swam with great delight. But not so her three year old brother. He was fearful. At first the father took him on his back and they swam. Then the father gently coaxed the little boy to jump into the pool – the father caught him every time. Pretty soon the little boy got brave and braver and he began to jump in as well.
It was a sight to behold, particularly for me. This is the summary. To make a long story short yet again. The highlight of my morning happened during my water walk. I crossed paths with a wonderful Malaysian family that reminded me exactly what life is supposed to look like.
I watched a father patiently, lovingly helping his little ones learn to swim. There was no tension, no “festering” baggage—just the pure, simple joy of a parent supporting his children as they navigated something new. The laughter was infectious. The love was visible. The lesson learned: Growth happens best in an environment of support.
Water walking completed, it was time to leave. I walked over to the family, inquiring if they spoke English and fortunately they did. I congratulated the father telling him I could see that he helped his son overcome his fear of the water – what a gift that was! Told them I was afraid of water, therefore, could not swim.
Me: I wish my father would have cared for me, the way you care for your son, and your daughter as well – as she clearly loves the water.
Suddenly, a memory came to me. My father taught me how to ice skate. I was actually a very adept ice skater although I am not otherwise athletic. Goodness, the man did his best. How did he know I was going to live in California and then Malaysia Hahaha. This is going to startle you as it startled me. I will have an opportunity to show off my skating skills in a Malaysian venue. A Malaysian Muslim venue because I am going to a conference on June 3, 2026 to be held in a nearby hotel which has a nearby skating rink. I am sure I can rent skates. The last time I donned skates was in Edmonton – probably twenty years ago. I did not have a bum knee then and was in better shape but I can try. As a fund raising event, there will be many I can get people to wager how many times I fall or how many minutes I remain erect. Oops – I think that betting in illegal in the Islamic faith. Best I check up on that. I did -asking Gemini. I was correct but a clever suggestion for an alternative.
Gemini: Malaysia operates under a dual-track legal system, and because your event is at a “Malaysian Muslim venue” or involves a Muslim-majority context, you’ll want to pivot your fundraising strategy slight You are correct. In Islam, gambling (Maisir) is strictly prohibited (haram). Under Malaysia’s Syariah laws and the Common Betting Act 1953, unlicensed gambling is also a civil offense. : Wagering on “how many times you fall” would be classified as a game of chance/gambling. Even if the intentions are charitable, the method of raising the money could cause discomfort or legal friction for the organizers and the venue. However here are some clever ‘halal’ alternatives. You can still use your skating skills to raise money without the “wager” element. Here are a few ways to keep the fun while staying culturally sensitive, You could instead ask for flat donations for performance. Instead of a bet, ask people to pledge a certain amount if you can complete one full lap without touching the boards. You could do a ‘stay up” challenge Supporters can “sponsor” your minutes. For every minute you stay upright, they donate a fixed amount (e.g., RM10 per minute). This shifts it from a gamble to a performance-based donation. Or you could ask people to donate to a “Knee Pad Fund”—essentially a humorous way to collect donations to ensure you have the best protective gear (which, given the 20-year hiatus, might be a wise move anyway!).
Well to be forewarned is to be forearmed, oops another idiom Called upon Gemini:
Gemini: ”To be forewarned is to be forearmed”—a classic! It’s the perfect mantra for someone about to take a twenty-year skating hiatus onto Malaysian ice.. This idiom is a direct translation of the Latin proverb: “Praemonitus, praemunitus.” It has been a staple of the English language for centuries, appearing in various forms as far back as the early 1500s. Its first major “celebrity” appearance was in Thomas Cooper’s 1548 work Thesaurus Linguae Romanae et Britannicae.The logic is purely military: Forewarned: Receiving “intelligence” or advanced notice of an enemy’s approach. Forearmed: Having the time to physically take up your weapons and prepare your defenses. Essentially, it argues that the greatest danger isn’t the challenge itself, but the surprise of it. By knowing the ice is slippery (or that betting is a no-go), you’ve already won half the battle.
The hotel in which the conference will be held is the Royale Chulan Damansar, famous for having the first (and only) indoor ice rink in a hotel in Malaysia. It is going to be the most amazing conference I have ever attended, by the looks of it. You can get a gander, as they say, at tickets.mysuhba.com
I did it again, another idiom came to mind. Help me Gemini
Gemini: To “take a gander” simply means to take a look at something, usually out of curiosity or to inspect it. The origin is from bird-watching. The idiom comes from the male goose, known as a gander. Geese are famous for their long necks, which they stretch out to peer over things or to see what’s going on around them. This is the imagery. When you “take a gander” at a website or a ticket page, you are figuratively stretching your neck out to get a better view of what’s being offered. The usage and vibe. Its tone, very informal and a bit folksy. You’ll hear it a lot in North American and British English, often used when someone wants to be casual or slightly playful. Example: I need to take a gander at the guest list before I commit.” It was a perfect way to phrase it, too—it makes the act of checking out the conference feel like they will be discovering something interesting rather than just “doing research.”
The photos that follow will be my moon shots and the Spicy Beef Angel Hair late lunch I consumed at Common Man. It was yummy!!
