Abu Dhabi: “The month of Ramadan has taught me a lot about patience. During Ramadan — especially when it’s so close to the summer and the weather is hot, it triggers a lot of emotions in you as you’re coping and dealing with the challenge of hunger and refraining yourself from food and drinks,” said Herny Mulyani, 43. “Ramadan also teaches me to be appreciative of what I have,” she added. It is during this month, she said, that she gets to realise “how lucky I am with what I have as I contemplate about those who are less fortunate than me. “These are the main lessons that I learn with each passing Ramadan.” As a result, there is an ongoing enrichment in her spiritual practices, she said. “For example, if during the last Ramadan, I did only 10 Taraweeh prayers, this Ramadan, I am doing more and also reading the Quran more. So it’s my spiritual practice that get’s getting better with each Ramadan,” she said.
This is Herny’s fourth Ramadan in the UAE, and among her main experiences that make her reflect a lot is the community spirit that she sees everywhere.
I like to take the lessons I have learned throughout the month [of Ramadan] and apply them for the rest of the year.
“I visited the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque with my family and it was amazing to see all the people gather for the iftar. And it’s not just the mosques that are providing the meals; outside many homes, you see long lines of people waiting as the homeowners are also providing them with iftar meals,” she said.
“I pointed this out to my two young children who haven’t seen something like this before, and [I believe] it is good for them too to experience this to help them develop an appreciation of the value of giving.
“Ramadan is a time for recharging yourself, physically and mentally; it’s a time to improve yourself in all aspects and personally, I like to take the lessons I have learned and apply them for the rest of the year.
“It’s always about being a better [person] than yesterday,” she said.
