#TGIF: Welcoming the best month

As you may know, February is my favourite month of the year, for obvious reasons - it is my birthday month. This year, Ramadan also falls in February. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you would know Ramadan is the month I cherish and look forward to. Having both my favourite moments together, I feel almost responsible to over prepare for their arrival. 

For Ramadan, what I usually aim for is to ensure I dial back into the good habits that I may have stopped doing or habits that I wish to be more consistent with, trying not to put too much pressure on doing everything perfectly, especially if I know it's not sustainable after Ramadan. Ramadan is all about building small habits that I can carry and practice beyond Ramadan. Here's how I hope my days will look like in Ramadan;

• Waking up early to help my mum prepare for Sahur - this had proven to not work because I prioritize my sleep more, sorry Mum 😔
• Sneak in 5 mins of Tahajjud before azan Subuh
• Recite morning zikir in the bus and ilmiah books in the train - I have shortlisted 2 books to read in Ramadan
• Less music while working in the office - I might struggle with this because I need music to block out office noise, the proven way for me to focus on a single task
• Perform Zohor early, no more delaying - hopefully!
• Leave office early, latest 4.30pm
• Go to bazaar ramadan with Dad or stay at home help Mum prepare food - Last year I stayed at home most time, I went bazaar for like a handful of times only
• Take 3 mins before berbuka to ask Allah for anything I want - golden window, waktu mustajab!
• Go for tarawih prayers at nearby masjids - still shortlisting which masjids we wanna go to. We had a decent track record last year, hopefully can do a bit more this year.
• Go to bed, and repeat.

I am praying for a good health this Ramadan, as I have been down with flu, sore throat and fever for the past 3 weeks. It's been on and off but I have yet to fully recover. However, I am glad to be sick now, so inshaAllah by the time Ramadan comes, I would be at the tail end of it, if not fully recovered. I am also looking forward to really lay all my worries, weights and my restlessness that I have been carrying -- dropping it all in his care. I pray all of us, able to nurse our bruises, hurt and wounds back to health this Ramadan.

Alhamdulillah, my birthday this year is going to be a tad bit special, falling on a blessed Friday, in Ramadan. This is also the first time I would experience birthday in Ramadan. I used to think for other people who had to fast on their birthdays "Where is the fun in that? No cakes, no celebration." But now I see it, I am indeed the lucky one. Everyone will experience birthday in Ramadan once in their lifetime, but to have it fall on the best day of the week? That is special.

I hope you are as excited as I am to welcome Ramadan. Prepare your doa list, plan your day, seize this chance to do your best as we may not get this chance again. Keep me in your doa, may Allah accepts our deeds and grant us more Ramadans in the future, inshaAllah.