Today's My Birthday

Today's my birthday.  

Today, I reached a new milestone of my life.  I turned 40.  So what's next? For many years of my life, I have struggled against the odds.  I had been sexually abused by those who were supposed to protect me and raped by those who just took from me.  I, for unknown reasons, lost the ability to walk when I had no prior issues leading up to it, but I still pressed on.   I have and continue to suffer through many migraines which worsens each and every year.  I lost my mother in 2002 and a year later one of my brothers.  I found my way to Islam after searching my whole life for it without knowing what it was I was looking for, except I knew I needed a way to worship God/Allah, the way He deserved to be worshiped.  In which case, I'm proud to set aside time for Him 5 times per day to give Him the glory and say "thank you" for the blessings he has given me, and to ask for His forgiveness for the wrongs I may have caused others and myself.  I have a husband, a son, and daughter. 

Today's my birthday.  Where do I go from here?  Despite the struggles have gone through in the past, and I have not named them all, I hope that, starting today onto tomorrow, I will continue on.  I will keep moving forward, because it has to get better from here.  Allah/God has blessed me with hardships and ease.  He has blessed me with tests, even though they are down right tough, to overcome.  My life has been a journey.  40 years of traveling down a hard and bumpy road.

Today's my birthday.  Now a new journey begins.  I begin it in the Name of God.

BismiAllah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem

In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful