I remembered the day I left for a foreign land (12/23/1989). I can still see the tears in yours eyes that shredded my heart.  To see you again, was all in our plan. I cried my way to New York, hoping to see you again soon.  Little did I know that was not meant to be!

And even now when I think of you, it breaks my heart to know that I had a ticket in hand to return to Guyana but I did not know that seeing you alive was not in the plan.  Allah called you so suddenly and without giving us the chance to meet again. In those silent moments when my heart pains, memories of you, my dear sister, are all that remain. With no final words of farewell, you left this world so peacefully and suddenly.  It is unbearable to imagine what took place after the accident and what were your wishes and needs before you drifted away. Your sudden passing I still cannot understand; but what can I do my dear sister? It’s all God’s plan. How my heart aches, no one will ever understand the magnitude of such pains to lose a sister who was waiting patiently to see me again.  Little Rafeek said, you had so much to tell me!

I’m so glad I’m your sister and you are mine. I’ve prayed someday we will all meet again, where the pastures are green, and there will be no pain, no sufferings, no sorrow of heart, but only joy and laughter. What a day that would be to see the entire family again and to hear all the things you wanted to say to me.

Your life on earth has taught us many valuable lessons. One being to spend our time constructively and productively, something that  most human beings have a stubborn tendency to overlook. Our “time” on earth – one of the most undervalued assets by most people.  Never before has there been such an assault on our time and productivity as we witness today by the rise of high tech distractions and the demands of modern lives and work schedules.

My sister’s short life on earth allowed us to understand why time should not be squandered but must be spent as if there is no tomorrow.  In retrospect, Sally was designated for a specific role and for a good reason – to benefit others during her existence. 

Islam places enormous weight on comprehending the value of time and utilizing it in productive ways. It is one of life’s most precious resources; a continuous stream that never stops and never returns once it passes us by.  From the tender age of 10 to 35, Sally's life mirrorred that time lost can never be regained. She took full advantage of her time, without knowing that her existence on earth was quickly running out.  She assumed the responsibility of taking care of her younger siblings while mom’s designated place was in front of her sewing machine for several hours per day and into the night.  Without my sister’s contribution to the household chores, my mother would have found it more difficult or maybe impossible to provide for her children.  When mom died, for some unexplainable reason, Sally became a seamstress, a trade she previously had no patience for.  With her income, she took care of my younger brother, who was only 6 years old, at the time of Mom’s death. In addition, during Ramadan, she was always present at the Mosque in Brickdam, Georgetown, participating in preparing Ramadan dinner.  Not only did she participate, but she dragged us along with her to get the dishes done.

In sum, whoever takes advantage of doing good deeds in his/her life has achieved success, while whoever wastes his/her time/investment will not see any profit but incur great loss. Seize the opportunity of your youth before you become old, your health before you become sick, your wealth before you become poor, and your spare time before you become too busy, and your life before you die.  Looking forward, there is always the illusion of lots of time, but looking backward, it is always gone with the blink of an eye, always far faster than we anticipated. When we are healthy we have the illusion of great strength and stability, but when illness strikes abruptly—as it usually does—we are left looking back in a daze, with mixed feelings.  We feel cheated by our own shortcomings, our negligence and our faulty lifestyles. 

Gone but not forgotten. Rest in peace.  My prayers are with You, Mom and Dad. Love always, Eyden.