Life is a journey – Faraziyya

Exercise 1

Maybe it’s because of the moment of early year where there’s still so much energy to be positive and hopeful. Or maybe it’s mostly because I found myself in abundance of free time (currently unemployed) that I’d like myself to write again.

I consider using new platform, now that there are new options like Medium and Substack, but in the end I knew that it will not be wise and there will always possibilities where I stop in the middle of this.

Storm

Storm sounds like an overstatement. Yet I can not put a word into that kind of feeling.

Reset

verb (used with object), re·set, re·set·ting. - to set again: - to set, adjust, or fix in a new or different way: verb (used without object), re·set, re·set·ting. - to become set again: noun - an act or instance of setting again. - an act or instance of setting, adjusting, or fixing something in a new or different way: - something that is set again. - a device used in resetting an instrument or control mechanism.

I’m not the type to celebrate New Year but still, I can’t really detach myself from using the moment. Not that I’m using it as a time setting for resolutions because I’m always weak at figuring out what I really want (I somehow lack the ability to visualize the future that I want).

So, what exactly I’m using the New Year moment for?

If there is no one

Di close-knitted community yang sedang aku ikuti, di minggu ini, sedang ada challenge ini:

Challenge-nya sifatnya bebas sih. You can take it if you want, and it’s okay if you pass it. We usually count it as an exercise. When I came across this challenge, at first I’m thinking about doing it. And then I’m contemplating on how and who I’m going to write. And finally decide that I’m gonna pass this challenge. Even though it sounds wonderful and it seems like it would make my heart full.

But the thing is, I’m not in the situation where I’m surrounded by close friend lately. I shut myself and haven’t talk (deeply) to anyone for quiet some time. Aku punya teman, tapi aku tidak punya teman untuk berbagi secara heart to heart. Aku tidak punya teman yang aku bisa berbagi concern dan problem yang sedang kuhadapi. It’s almost seperti 2 tahun belakangan ini aku hanya berkomunikasi dengan orang lain, dengan keluarga, hanya di layer terluar. Berkomunikasi tentang what’s necessary.

Challenge in membuatku sadar kalo aku sedang tidak punya ‘loved ones’ di mana aku ingin menyurati mereka atau memberi pesan kepada mereka tentang hal yang aku sukai dari mereka. And it hit me: how alone and lonely I must feel right now.

Bagaimana aku bisa sampai di kondisi seperti ini?

When it’s the 29th

Hari ini, hari ke 29 bulan Ramadan. Hakikatnya waktu memang ia terus berjalan, dan Ramadan pun ia perlakukan dengan sama: 1 hari berlangsung selama 24 jam, tidak kurang tidak lebih. Meski Ramadan adalah bulan spesial sekalipun. So, we expected this. We expected Ramadan too, will come to an end. But no matter how we expected Ramadan to end, we still yearn for it to stay.

Some people say, Ramadan is a reset. Or that when Ramadan comes we have to behave. That Ramadan worth our whole attention. And all of that, sounds like: you would not want to ruin ramadan. for sure.

Sehingga ketika hari ini adalah hari ke-29 Ramadan, meski di ujung, we don’t want to lose. We would want to finish strong, like some hashtag said. Couple years ago, a platform used: towards guilt-free Ramadan and personally, it hit the spot! Because it’s just natural for us to astray, to feel guilty that we haven’t done enough in Ramadan.

Jadi gimana, biar kali ini bisa guilt-free Ramadan?

If you ask me, yang kepikiran ya follow up dengan planning. Karena setidaknya dengan planning kita bisa membayangkan next purpose, and map it out. It’s actually what I would love to do. I have things in mind, things that I want to continue from Ramadan, things that I would love to start in Syawal (not yet a marriage though) and things I’d like to prove to myself.

I believe Ramadan is a month of training. And that the months to come are the actualization of what we’ve overcome in Ramadan. So when it’s the 29th, bukan cuma siap-siap berpisah dengan Ramadan tapi juga berarti ini saatnya untuk merencanakan steps for months ahead, in terms of our spiritual aspect of life. Of continuing the connection with Allah & the Qur’an that we’ve build in Ramadan.

Let’s write it down, first, and gradually work our way up!