Second Day of Fasting! Already?

Alhamdulillah..can't believe I can make it this Ramadhan. Allah has granted time to celebrate fasting month.. I can never be more grateful. The kids are thrilled!

Honestly.. though I'm really eagerly waiting for ramadhan, I'm certainly anxious at the same time.. distracted with the fact that along with ramadhan comes my due for my labour.

This year, with H1N1 spreading like wildfire and most of my family are at high-risk.. me being pregnant, and children, fasting month and school holiday means quarantining ourselves at home.

Unlike 4 years back.. we were to spend on food at the bazaar in celebration of our kids who just learn fasting.. Then we realized that spending luxuriously on food does not really meet the purpose of fasting itself.

Now, I don't normally cook extra dishes for them.. not that I don't consider the fact that they are learning to fast but then, teaching them not to overeat as soon as they break fast is more important. Our dishes are simple and a constant reminder of those who remain hungry even after they break fast or those who always get hungry even during those time of non fasting month. Of course, there will be days that I'll cook a feast! But definitely not throughout the fasting month!

I remembered somebody did protested when my 4-year-old Haziq started fasting, insisting that the boy is not prepared to fast. But the truth is.. we never really forced him to fast.. He was really eager to follow the brother and sister fasting. The reward was of course not in cash.. but stories of the beauty of 'syurga' and the everflowing rivers there. He is thrilled!

Irfan, my youngest.. aged 3 is now learning to fast.. Of course he does not really fast.. but like his brothers and sister, we try to wake him up for 'sahur', and he only eats whenever he is hungry.. hidden from the rest of the family to respect the fasting month.. And we are quite flexible with his sahur.. The first day, he did not wake up for sahur, so he had his sahur as soon as he woke up..

It's never too early to start.. Starting does not really mean they have to do it.. but a mere exposure of the concept.. Forcing is not in the dictionary.. but trust me.. kids are more than ready to embrace Islam.. sometimes, I think, it is us who is just not ready.. :P

Second Day of Fasting! Already?