The end of Ramadan has brought a lot of excitement with events, henna, and of course Eid, with my parents coming to pray with me. As I have been fasting this month, I have often thought “One more hour that’s it” or “Just thirty minutes more.” Using this mindset, I suddenly realized I was trying to force the time to go faster. I was not enjoying the
experience and taking it slowly. The purpose of these fasts is not to suffer for the sake of suffering; it’s about being able to practice virtues like temperance and empathy. It is to understand how suffering can impact others and to encourage generosity.
During Ramadan, I am forced to reevaluate what I have and how grateful I am for that hour, thirty minutes, twenty minutes, and even those five antsy minutes before Iftar and when I can break my fast. I should be grateful for the community of people who I share the meal with and that I even have a meal waiting for me.
As a rising Senior, ‘real life’ has been starting to loom over me. Normal conversations have shifted from being about which club position you’re running for to which career you might have. It’s no longer what’s your favorite class, it’s what are you doing this summer.
Similar to those last moments of the fast it is important to savor these last moments with my community. Yes, that essay is keeping me up all night, or that p-set is driving me up a wall, but I still need to enjoy these moments as they come with my suitemates and friends just as I should remember to enjoy those last moments of connecting with my faith and community over Ramadan’s fasts.
I hope that with this last week of classes for this semester, students of all years are able to take a moment to breathe and consider that time might be passing slowly or fast to them but that at that moment, they have so much to enjoy, love, and be grateful for even with daunting deadlines.