Side Note...

Sweetheart,

If you learn one thing from me, I hope it would be to not live with debt. It might not seem like a big.deal, but it really is. Debt affects how you view yourself, friends, social situations.

I am referring to the monitary debt now.

I would love for you to work hard for what you have. That would be the only way you can put your head on your pillow at night, and actually find peace and comfort. Knowing that you have done everything you could that day and that you worked your hardest, would not only put you to sleep out of tiredness, but also out of peace of mind. Peace of mind is one of those things that everyone is looking for and trying to achieve in their lives. And to me, honest living and being true to God, are the way to achieve it.

Life these days is hard without owning a credit card. This card is essential to BUILD credit. It is not your ticket to buying everything you could ever want. It is your way of eventually owning a home and/or a car. Do not fall for the credit company's traps with the minimum payment options. That is their way of getting you hooked. Once you miss a payment, it is extremely hard to catch up. Please listen to me now before you do what I and your dad and everyone else we know have done. And we all have bad credit to show for it 😠

If you buy something on a credit card, make sure you have the cash to buy said thing, so that the credit card is used to record your purchase for the credit bureau. And then use the cash you have to pay off the amount you just charged on your credit card right away. Please please please, learn from my mistakes.

Now with regards to spiritual debt.

We are all created by God, and given all the blessings that we have in our lives. All that is asked of us in return is to make sure we at least follow the five pillars in our lives. We need to keep the belief that there is no God but the One, and that Muhammad PBUH is his messenger, and that Jesus PBUH, Moses PBUH and all the prophets that came before Muhammad PBUH are messengers from God, delivering the same message.
We need to pray five times a day. We need to pay Zakaat, the yearly payment made to charity. We need to fast Ramadan. And we need to perform Hajj or the Greater Pilgrimage. Now I was not blessed to be able to perform the "mini" pilgrimage, or Umra, with my parents, a few times.
All of those are very simple and easy requirements to keep up with, as long as a habit to perform them is maintained. And it is essential that they are not done, just to be done. Remind yourself, the blessings that you have, your health, your happiness, your path, are all from God. He loves you so much and wants to see you in paradise, eternally happy.

Do not owe yourself anything in this department. Time, once passed, is passed forever. We do not get a second chance when it comes to that. This does not mean to always tread lightly or to be terrified of committing to something or a decision. It just simply means that our time on this earth should be used mindfully. So be mindful of your actions and words. Any action causes a reaction, whether from a friend, a family member, a stranger, or from another living entity as well as the environment we live in. Be mindful of yourself and of your surroundings.

This is heavy, I know. But now is as good a time as any to make sure that you learn important life lessons, at a young age.

I love you.