Petals!

My fascination with the Sufi way of life took root when I first read 'The Forty Rules of Love.' Various Sufism quotes in the book mesmerized me. In Bilquis Jehan Khan's memoir, A Song of Hyderabad , her valuable insights are elaborated in Chapter 21 titled, 'A Holy Man's Life and Works." [SUBSCRIBE TO MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER ON SUBSTACK]                                                       [Image: Pexels.com] What is the most important belief in Sufism? The author writes in her memoirs, " A Sufi should renounce himself, not others. My father used to say that while a man must stand in the water, his clothes should not get wet. Of course, this is an impossible ideal, but Sufis accept that the goal lies very far away. "   She quotes her father's words, " Everyone has a pure heart, but on all hearts you normally find a layer of black tarnish. Why? Because like silver, a heart needs to be polished! And the only way to polish it is

I am not an oats fan. In fact, I have never liked oats. No wonder, my mother had a tough time forcing oats as part of my daily diet and it continued till college. These old school memories bring a big smile to my face, especially since now I am in the mom's role. [READ: Balanced diet for Ladies - Eat According to Your Age]                                                          [Image: Pixabay] Funny enough, I try to convince my 13 year old boy to try overnight oats, which has now become my favourite comfort-health food.   As a busy working mom, I think and feel differently about oats now. On several food blogs, I happened to find overnights oats recipes, citing it as a super food as it comes power packed with nutrients.  But that's not it. [DO READ: Why Salad is Good for You!] You know, it is so easy to make.  Plus, you can do so many experiments with flavours and textures. You can create layers, which is something I enjoy doing. Spice i