day eighteen

“Thou seest, O Lord, our suppliant hands lifted up towards the heaven of Thy favor and bounty. Grant that they may be filled with the treasures of Thy munificence and bountiful favor. Forgive us, and our fathers, and our mothers, and fulfil whatsoever we have desired from the ocean of Thy grace and Divine generosity. Accept, O Beloved of our hearts, all our works in Thy path. Thou art, verily, the Most Powerful, the Most Exalted, the Incomparable, the One, the Forgiving, the Gracious.”

Bahá’u’lláh

amy: i think so often these days of my parents, and of shamim’s parents. with how much patience they watched us grow, how they guided our steps through their actions rather than their words, how many times they bit their tongues and let us make our own mistakes, encouraged us, pushed us, loved us. i wonder if we spend the rest of our lives trying to thank them for that, trying to act in ways that will make them proud of us, if we could ever repay that kind of love, that kind of dedication.

leila: because the skies in the morning have been so indifferent, i haven’t chosen a dawn picture that has clouds in it so far—this morning was therefore a gift. in general, i take more photos of skies and clouds than absolutely anything else. my Bahá’í ring was given to me by the family i lived with in Tasmania. they have three young sons, and when they came back from pilgrimage each of the boys was given one. as was i. i wear it always.