Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to all my wonderful Readers.

What a year! Like you, for me too, it has been full of sorrows, joys, fun and some hard parts, all rolled into one beautiful year.

Starting with gratitude:

Alhamdolillah!

Let us join hands to thank Allah for everything. We know the hard parts were for a Reason. The good parts were to make us happy and strong, once again.

As we are winding up this year, let us embrace every bit of it. Celebrate. Forgive and give.

Three points before next year:

Just check these important points first:

1. Return anything still with you, to the rightful owner.
2. Deliver all the promises made this year, to start next year with a clean slate.
3. Pay all dues, debts etc.

A touching story:

Let me share a very touching story with you:

An orphan girl:

It is the story of a young orphan girl, Rubina (name changed), who found love and happiness by marrying a man from Tamman. He took her to his home, where he lived with his parents. They had two children, a boy and a girl. She settled in with her in-laws. She kept herself occupied with housework and  was very good with embroideries. Her drawn thread work was just amazing.

Brutal ending of marriage:

Just a few years later, during a dark night, the young woman, was divorced by her husband, supported by his family. She was forced to leave her home; Her two children were taken from her by threats for her life, even though she begged for them.

Only Allah knows how she spent that night on the road.

Help from a kind person:

Desperate, she wondered where she could find protection. She had only known kindness from one person. He was the brother of her mother-in-law. Somehow, she managed to go to him and his wife in Attock. He was a well-known lawyer of the area, and asked her to be with them for as long as she liked. Also, he was aware that his own sister had kicked her out of her house and been party to the cruel divorce.

Getting back on her feet:

It took a few months for her to find the strength to get back on her feet. She became a health visitor and found work in a small town next to Rawalpindi. Soon, a co-worker liked her, and proposed to her.  Soon, they got married and have their own clinic on main highway.

Their three children are now all grown up and leading their own successful lives. All of them are professionals in the field of health, one is a homeopath doctor, another a doctor in UK, and the daughter, an IT engineer, is married to a Squadron Leader in the air force.

It was such a pleasure to meet her daughter, that I cannot tell you. Such a well-groomed, highly educated girl.

So this is the story of courage, strength and perseverance. A story of how Allah can help you in ways that you could never imagine.

Just have faith.

This is a story which I have witnessed. ?

Lesson from this true story:

No matter how bad life may appear sometimes, hold on to your faith.

Even when circumstances seem to be dead against you, just hold on and be patient. Be assured that Someone Up There is watching over you. Surrender yourself to Him, who knows how to get you out of the worst situations, to bring you to the best that He has kept for you.

Do not waste your time on things like revenge and ‘getting even’ with those who were monstrous with you. Leave God to do His work, and get on with your own life and objectives.

Today, she is far better off, than she could ever have been in that previous marriage.

Walk into new year full of hope:

So, even in the worst of circumstances hold on to your faith. Start by counting your blessings. Working hard at whatever your gut tells you to do;  You are sure to rise above the present rough patches.

This is why I’ll ask you to ‘be kind and stay blessed’, as we move into the next year. ?

Note: All photographs provided by author.