Dum Medium Silentium

8 Dhu'l-Hijjah, 2 days before 10 Dhu'l-Hijjah a.k.a. the Idul Adha day, was my birthday according to the Arab calendar. I didn't notice the date until my Mom rang and reminded me. It was a blessing to be able to celebrate my 31st birthday. Compared to the Gregorian calendar, the Arab calendar is 11 days shorter each year. I am 30 years old according to the Gregorian calendar, which means there are 330 days gap between my birthday in Gregorian and Arab Calendar.  Let me share what I did on my 31st birthday. So I had a fun date with my boyfriend. Early in the morning, he woke me up by phone. As usual, he recalled my first impression after waking up. I would buzz like a bee and he knew it was a complaint of why I had to wake up in the morning, especially on the weekend. He told me that he would pick me up for a date. He asked me to dress nicely but also casually.  With my eyes half closed, I showed him the green maxi dress I would wear. It was approved by him and the next duty...

I was having a brief and light conversation with my boyfriend about how to create more memorable stories, create sparks in our relationship, and make better plans for our future. What I deeply appreciate about him is that he never ceases making plans for us as if he knows exactly where we're going, the potential issues we are going to face, how to cope with hard conversations, and many more. Reassurance, emotional support, and acts of service speak louder than just words. In lieu of the conversation, we had opposite points of view on how we would build healthy relationships and bondings in marriage while each of us is trying our best to achieve our goals. In addition, I am aware of his endeavors to listen more, to be more transparent in making decisions, to welcome discussions, to work collaboratively, and to articulate what we feel and what we think about assertively. We want to find the best route that could accommodate our needs in particular. There was a funny moment when I sud...