What you’re looking at here is a kind of heaven for me; it doesn’t take that much to make me happy – mostly, it is some combination of paper and cuddles. Though not together, because paper-cuts NO THANK YOU.

As excited as I was to sink into the lushness of this scene, it wasn’t my favourite part of the day. Penultimate favourite was that I received another review of rose-water from Mary Barnet, a woman whose poetry was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature. It might be the best review yet, and I will post it as soon as it goes live (I received an advance). What a fkn honour, y’all.

And then the following, the cherry on top of the icing of the richest cake possible –

…rose-water syrup [enriches] the Islamic university’s library and serves students and researchers in their studies.  We are praying to God Almighty (Glorified and Sublime be He) to make this an ongoing-rewarded charity in your balance of good-deeds (virtues) on Judgement Day, and hoping for you more differentiation and generosity.”

This is the letter to which I woke up this morning, from the Islamic University in Gaza. I had my mother read and translate the Arabic for me. She cried at this part, as did I.

My Baba translated it formally, which is the text above. His excitement was palpable in the use of his ‘!!’, which he uses so rarely.

It’s difficult to express how important it is to me that rose-water is in Gaza, in the non-secular university library. When Islam faces such misunderstanding and hate, when Israel so stokes the flames of Islamophobia, there is no home more important for me than this one. This letter, it was the start to my day, followed by my finally opening mail from my time in Brazil.

Look. At. This. Card. From PattyWeed! SHE MADE ME A BIRTHDAY CARD COLLAGE AND KEANU IS A PART OF IT. I am framing the shit out of this baby for all eternity; please put it in my wooden coffin when the time comes. Thx!

Today, I am grateful for:
1. The ability to lift my parents and make them proud.
2. My own home-made banana bread because I’m not an asshole who substitutes sugar, butter, or cream. If I needed to do this, I’d just suck on drywall. Look at this beauty –3. PATTYWEED.

Ottawa | Day 339 | November 4, 2019

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