I’m running around dealing with the insurance company, which decided to deny my treatment again, just days before my second chemo infusion this Friday, so a meme seemed a nice break from the drama.
(Via Frida’s Notebook and Vanity Fair.)
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
To know that I’ve lived each day to the best of my capabilities.
2. What is your greatest fear?
Wasting my life and its many blessings and opportunities.
3. Which living person do you most admire?
Bilquis and Abdul Sattar Edhi (the phenomenal Pakistani philanthropists and humanitarians).
4. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Sloth.
5. What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Intolerance.
6. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Faith, without compassion.
7. On what occasion do you lie?
To protect someone else’s privacy I may divulge less than I actually know.
8. What do you dislike most about your appearance?
I look and often feel much older than my 35 years.
9. What is your greatest regret?
I have wishes – like I wish my sisters lived closer, I wish I’d met Basil earlier and had a child before I got ill – but no great regrets, alhamdolillah. Small regrets on the other hand…
10. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My family, and my friends who have become family.
11. Which talent would you most like to have?
To be able to fly.
Failing that, to sing.
12. What is your current state of mind?
Cursing insurance companies but also knowing that everything is in the best of Hands.
13. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d be far more disciplined with my time and have written at least one novel by now.
14. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Actively trying to break down the barriers to love inside of me.
15. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
Odd question. Excellent fertilizer? An endangered but charismatic animal? The NYT bestseller of the 21st century?
16. What is your most treasured possession?
Wow. I really had to think about this. Maybe my digi cam or childhood photos.
17. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Perpetuating destructive cycles from childhood or after a bad relationship.
18. Where would you like to live?
Exactly where I am, beautiful San Francisco!
19. What is your most marked characteristic?
People tell me I am unflappably graceful. I think it’s my goofiness however.
20. Who are your favorite writers?
Off the top of my head, those I return to repeatedly are Rumi, Joan Didion, Tolkien, and al-Ghazali.
21. Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Frodo.
22. Who are your heroes in real life?
In addition to Bilqis and Abdul Sattar Edhi, the usual suspects: Mandela and my mom.
23. What is it that you most dislike?
Cruelty.
24. What is your motto?
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” – Jalal ud-Din Rumi
and
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi
25. Favorite Journey?
The spiritual, emotional and physical one I embarked on with Basil when we got married in 2002.
26. What do you value most in your friends?
Honestly and consistently being there for me through thick and thin no matter how far away they might be in terms of miles.
27. Which words or phrases do you must overuse?
“Like” (argh!) , “so,” and “seriously.” I hate sounding like a Valley Girl!
28. Which historical figure do you most identify with?
The Prophet’s wife Hadhrat Aisha, peace and blessings upon them both. I find her to be a compelling, extraordinary and inspiring figure.
29. What is your greatest extravagance?
Air travel, artisan perfumes, and BCBG.
30. If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be?
That we all developed great communication skills about 30 years ago instead of this year. But, better late than never.
31. What is your favorite occupation?
Photography, reading, traveling, and writing.
32. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Compassion.
33. What is the quality you most like in a man?
Kindness.
34. How would you like to die?
Having lived a full healthy life, painlessly and surrounded by loved ones
35. If you could chose what to come back as, what would it be?
Another odd question. A conscientious human being?
I’m not tagging anyone but if you wish to do it, do ping me so I can read yours too!
9 comments
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November 27, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Irving
I love your answers
What a wonderful human being you are, dear Sister. My prayers and thoughts are with you.
Ya Haqq!
November 27, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Aisha
I’m sorry that they denied you again. Have you talked to a lawyer about possible strategies?
November 27, 2007 at 11:14 pm
helcaraxe
someday we have to meet, sis. i have so many of the exact same answers! like… 2, 4, 11, 13, 21, 31. well, i’d skip flying and go straight to singing
i guess i ought to read joan didion, huh…
November 28, 2007 at 12:17 am
Hayah
Thats a nice set of questions, not silly ones like on facebook
maybe il try them sumday. You like Frodo? I looooove Aragon!!
Insha Allah this battle too can be won Baraka, but why is the agency denying u again?
November 28, 2007 at 1:50 am
Baraka
Salaam all,
Irving: Thank you for your prayers dear brother!
Aisha: I haven’t, but I do have a case worker who is helping me negotiate the intricacies of the insurance policies.
Later today we found out that they have decided to let me have the infusion on Friday but have not agreed to pay for the first one. It’s such an inefficient, bureaucratic process, seemingly set up to confuse and delay the patient & treatment needlessly.
Helcaraxe:
Didion has lyrical and insightful prose which is a joy to read!
Hayah: I love Aragon too (especially in the films) but there’s something particularly heroic about little Frodo acting against great odds, losing heart and hope and yet continuing on.
As for why they’re denying – I think it’s just a reflex action on their part from what I’ve seen over the past 5 years. If they think they can get away without paying, they’ll try to.
Insha-Allah it will all work out. I’m just trying to focus on being open to receiving the chemo into my body again this week…
Warmly,
Baraka
November 28, 2007 at 2:47 am
gulnari
When you said you’d like to sing I was instantly reminded of this beautiful song:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=XSMl8SpT6p0
Artisan perfumes? Is that like that unique scent you sprayed on my cupcake book? Ah.. that was so wonderful.
I want to do this meme too!
I hope that Inshallah everything with your insurance will work out. :***
November 28, 2007 at 3:29 am
Baraka
Salaam dear Gulnarita!
That’s a lovely song – have you heard ‘Ya Tayr’ by Fairouz? Love it!
Unfortunately, I sound like the direct opposite of her voice. Poor Basil! :/
Yep, artisan perfumes like the one I sent you. I really like Champaca by Ormonde Jayne which a friend gave me for my birthday this year, and I also had one made especially for me by Yosh last year, which I named Baraka.
That’s the one I sprayed on your book!
Warmly,
Baraka
November 28, 2007 at 8:36 am
thailandchani
Wonderful answers! I am really enjoying the responses in this series.
November 28, 2007 at 3:02 pm
wasaski
Wow I am always happy when I happen to find a good blog such as yours that I keep up with often. I liked your answers they were very insightful and find some of them to be familiar to me. Insha’Allah I will def. check back here often. BTW Merry and Pippen are the most entertaining LOTR characters and thumbs up on the choice of flying for a talent; it is something that I have always dreamed would be a cool thing to do very liberating and gives you such insight on the world