What January Taught Me About Faith and Mortality

“Hello, I am back beneath the deep, dark skies of Lembang, where the moon and stars hum a quiet lullaby. On this twenty-seventh day, I’d give life a fairly good rating. It’s been a blend of sweat, toil, and laughter walking hand in hand. The prayers I never fail to send skyward have become the perfect rhythm for navigating this January.

Before the month slips away, an endless sense of gratitude fills the spaces that were once hollow. Though my worship often still feels like a mere formality, my heart never stops yearning — asking that I may truly embody my faith according to the path of Islam. Insha Allah…

Lately, news of grief often reaches my ears. We never know who will be called next. I can only imagine that Allah already has a checklist of those returning to Him, regardless of their circumstances. O Allah… grant the most beautiful place for those who have gone before us, and grant peace to the hearts of the families left behind, Aamiin…

And please, grant me the time to keep refining myself, so that I may eventually meet a beautiful end — husnul khotimah.

This year, before the seventh month arrives, I hope Allah grants me the time and entrusts me with the destiny He has written. Even if, perhaps, my plans, prayers, and efforts seem small in His eyes, and even if I haven’t yet reached what I dream of.

But again, this is not the end of the battle. As long as I am able to dream and pray, striving is never the end of the story.

Let’s wait for the roller coaster tales of the coming months. See you next month!

Keep growing, Mel. Become a person who is more whole and resilient.