“Can I do this?” - Wrong Question!

When I first arrived in Morocco in September 2018, people immediately started asking me, first, if I had ever lived in a Muslim country before and, second, if I was planning on partaking in Ramadan. My answer to both questions was “no”. I had no intention of ‘starving myself’ for a month. Of course, at that time, I didn’t really understand Ramadan. I couldn’t imagine any benefits. All I could think about were the things that I would have to ‘give up’, including coffee and wine, and I was not enthusiastic about losing those 2 staples.

Over the last six months, I have talked about Ramadan in detail with dozens of people. All of them have said the same thing – “You should do it, you must do it”. None of them have been envious of me that I don’t have to do it. Quite the contrary. Although they say it is tough, without exception, every person has told me that they love Ramadan and they look forward to it every year. They have talked about what you ‘gain’ from Ramadan, not what you ‘give up’.

I have heard great stories about the delicious meals that are served while ‘breaking the fast’, which happens every evening at sundown, and then there’s a really big celebration at the end of the 30 days with special, traditional, Moroccan dishes. I have been invited to many of these events. I feel like if I am going to fully participate in the celebrations, I should also be participating in the reason for the celebrations. If I attend a ‘breaking of the fast’ without actually having fasted, I would feel like a cheater. Like I’m getting a red ribbon when I didn’t even run in the race. I want to feel that joy that comes from indulging after sacrificing. I think it will be amazing.

My friends have told me how proud I will feel when it’s done, a real sense of accomplishment, and they say I will feel like I can do anything – that there are no limits. That sounds good. That sounds like a feeling worth giving up coffee for.

So, the question has changed from “can I do this?” to “do I want to do this?”. And the answer for me is “YES”. I am now focused on all of the positive benefits that will come out of this experience.

Thanks to those of you who are already cheering me on. I appreciate your words of encouragement.