My son, Ibrahim, arrived small yet mighty in a Central Asian hospital one February morning, a miniature version of his Afghan father; brown skin, dark hair, a broad brow. On the inside, he carried my O- blood. I knew that this child was cut from the same cloth as my…
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This piece is a follow up to the essay, “Accidentally Childfree”.
“Do you want to be in your marriage?” She asked me, matter-of-factly.
For months I wrestled with this question, always too afraid to broach it during daylight hours. But here we were, in her bright little office, and her words flooded the room.
On that day, I did not have an answer for her.
“Who are YOU?” asked the Caterpillar of Alice. It is a question that creeps into the minds of married women and mothers everywhere. “Who am I?” Like Alice, we struggle to find an answer. We swell and contract into so many sizes—both literally and figuratively—to meet the needs of our…
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Dear M, I am 37-years-old, and am a well-educated, professional woman. I have been divorced for ten years and the loneliness is killing me. My daughter just turned 18 and is heading off to college so I feel it is a good time to for me to remarry. I have…
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Mariam: Being pregnant and holding down a demanding job can be incredibly stressful, but the difficulties in balancing career and motherhood begin even before pregnancy. I think the issues crop up as soon as Muslim women get married and start getting pressurized to have kids. Sumeera, do you agree? Sumeera:…
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It was Tuesday morning. While I was getting ready for the day, I finally watched the devastating video of the now-infamous pool party in McKinney, Texas. I had been avoiding it but knew it was yet another devastating touch point in the ongoing conversation about race and living-while-black in America…
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Now, that may sound like a weighty question for a single mom to answer, but I welcome it. My four-year-old has been interested in my love life as of late (kindergarten matchmaker perhaps?) and she has approached me with one question after another on the matter. Fortunately, her interrogations amuse…
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Train Like a Kardashian, Eat Like a Giraffe: Two Lawyers and a Personal Trainer Discuss Mariam: While I’ve never been thin, I have found that I have been more motivated to get fit since I had my kids. Of course, given the demands of balancing a career with a home…
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Working moms often carry heavy loads of “mom guilt” when trying to balance work and childcare. Much of the guilt is rooted in worries that being away from their kids somehow harms them in the long run. Now, studies show that children of working moms –especially daughters of working moms–…
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Some days, like rain on the doorstep She’ll cover me With grace in all she offers On this past Sunday, Mother’s Day, social media was covered with sweet dedications, remembrances, and gorgeous photos of lovely women with their children. It was markedly joyful to see so many celebrate the women…
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