Rage and Resilience
A Journey through My Beloved’s Battle with Cancer
by
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Sunday January 14, 2007
"The day of reckoning."
My beloved MK was laid to rest forever, in peace in the place of eternal residence near the angels of God. The service was awesome, none of us had seen anything like it, neither Jews nor Gentiles, neither Christian nor Muslim, neither Buddhist or Spiritualists…even in death MK was able to bring people together, making the impossible a reality, bridging gaps between faiths, cultures and creeds, putting it all together. It is her signature right.
I wanted to honor the beautiful destiny that brought us together, weaved and meshed our lives in the last 20 years, something special that we made together. It appealed to both of us that our different religious backgrounds, as distant as they may be, were something that we both could find common ground in. Something that both of us are lost in, because it looks like us, yet different because it is unique, and does not resemble anything else. So I decided to have an Islamic service alongside a Christian service, honoring both MK and I.
I walked away from this, and if you take nothing from my book please take this knowledge that I wish someone had given me in the beginning, the conviction that we as humans are one. We share that common seed from the one and only creator that we may refer to in different words and with different dogmas. Coexistence between all these faiths should be natural and ought not to even be a discussion, for we are all the same and coexisting in essence with each other!
In the end it all works out if we keep holding on to what is center and focus.
Amen.
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About the Book
In the fall of 2007 my wife passed from breast cancer .. ever since I made it a point to dedicate a major part of my life to serve her memory in what can help others... loss back then, I spoke about my experience to few church based grief groups but mostly to close friends and loved ones... it was greatly received and brought tears to many; I knew then that I have a powerful and meaningful story to tell.
My beloved MK always encouraged me to write, but I always rejected or resisted the urge, despite knowing that I have always had a knack for it. I can express my feelings and thoughts with ease and with a certain degree of depth and poetic quality. I love to write, but have been too lazy to dedicate time to it, not to mention that I cannot make a living from it which is probably one of the reasons that I did not take the activity seriously... little did she know that my writing would be about her after she has passed away!
I hope that in a sort of cosmic, spiritual and supernatural way, the words would reach her and she can tap on my ideas, inner thoughts and feelings, as she is central to them all. I am also hopeful and confident that writing about her, and us, will cure my aching heart.
I walked away from this, and if you take nothing from my book please take this knowledge that I wish someone had given me in the beginning, the conviction that we as humans are one. We share that common seed from the one and only creator that we may refer to in different words and with different dogmas. Coexistence between all these faiths should be natural and ought not to even be a discussion, for we are all the same and coexisting in essence with each other!
In the end it all works out if we keep holding on to what is center and focus.
Amen.
About the Author
Said is a native of Morocco, where he lived and studied until his early twenties. He has visited nearly forty countries on five continents, and has traveled extensively through France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Spain. He deployed more recently in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Gulf, where he served as an expert in cultural areas, assisting federal agencies in training new and seasoned officers. He developed a keen interest in the Intelligence realm and gave a tremendous service to country in over a decade. He earned praise and won many awards for excellent work and for teaching students from various social and cultural backgrounds.
Said is a multi-lingual professional experienced in all facets of interpretation and translation. Said has worked with the centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, where he facilitated communication between athletes, coaches, delegates, committee members, organizers and the media. He was in fact featured in an article by Newsweek's Chief Editor Jerry Adler in the spring of 2008.
A committed writer and avid reader, he has written extensively about the interaction between east and west, and the intersection of religion and culture. He has earned praise and won many awards for excellent work in teaching students from varied social and cultural backgrounds.