Letter to Julia 20131223

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello Monday, my beloved Julia and Erin.  You must be busy.  I'm busy, but I trying my best to slow down.  My feet hurt.  I've always had bad feet.  All that traveling I've done makes my feet hurt even more.  Standing in one place makes my feet hurt even more.  I'm sorry, but I can't go jogging with you.  We can go on long, slow walks inshaAllah, but we're going to have to get a treadmill if you want to go running.  Unless I follow you around on a motorcycle.  Hey, let's go cycling instead.  Let's ride our bicycles to the international border and have a picnic in a tower overlooking the sugar cane fields.

The countryside certainly can be beautiful, and the flat landscape here makes it easy for weak-footed people like me to traverse on bicycle.  But I have to sing at the same time everyday, so I have to stick to a routine, and can't afford the time to go wandering around.  My feet hurt more than usual today, so I had to sit when I voice trained.  By the Will of Allah, the music is powerful, and can attract people from all over the globe, and therefore gives them a reason to come here.  So let their hearts realize Allah, let them fear and worship Allah.