random thoughts

Lots of things to think about lately. Spring Break is that kind of time - it makes one think of the future, particularly summer! It is so hard to be back in school after a week off - it is so far from where the mind is at. Same for all the kids, that makes it harder with all the minds in the room somewhere else.

The last few days I didn't work too much. Watched my brothers' kids, took my dad on an errand, picked up some stuff for my brother and watched him lay sod, and lived in my own private fantasy world most of the rest of the time.

I found one of the hadith I've been looking for: --
 If a man lives in a town with a hundred thousand inhabitants or more, and there is someone in that town whose virtue is greater then his, then that man is not of our shi'ah.
Imam Ja’far as Sadiq (as)
http://home.swipnet.se/islam/books/Shia-faith/05.htm#37
I am not sure who is the author of that book, though - or any of its other pertinent details.

I decided to try to go to Vancouver for a week when school is out. That is like a pilgrimage to me, renews my faith a bit, insha'allah. There are some people there that are really important to me and that I really look up to. And it is very beautiful there. I struggle with the idea of moving there as opposed to just staying right where I am for the rest of my life. This little house and neighborhood fit me; they are comfortable and familiar. I grew up here. But it really lacks for some things I could use re: being a Muslim.

Maybe around that time I'll know if my husband is coming back this year or if we're getting divorced or what have you.

Today a student is coming to interview me for his english class. They're not supposed to do teachers, but he got an exception to interview me about being Muslim. I know his mom, she's another teacher in my department and the kid is a very thoughtful man - thinks a lot. I am kind of nervous about it, really. But excited too, I guess. Then, my cousin has a retirement party. Not sure what to expect there but I'll probably stop in with my mom. It'll probably be the last family get-together before my aunt Miriam passes on - her body is riddled with cancer right now and she is pretty sick. I kind of doubt she'll be there, actually. I don't know my extended family very well. My dad's family was in other places, and my mom's was feuding when I was a kid and so I was never around them. We were an independent family - my parents did everything on their own, masha'allah, and sometimes it was really hard on them. This cousin that is retiring for some reason is my favorite. He has lived in Fargo, ND most of my life but out of all of them he has seemed the most sane. Maybe that's because he hasn't been around.

I need to buckle down on my grad school stuff, too. I could've used this week to get ahead on it, but I didn't.