Zeid & Reem

Zeido is my first born, and like any mother will tell you, there will always be something special concerning your first experience with motherhood. From the day he was born he has been my Zeido, and he will remain Zeido no matter how old he gets ha ha.

Throughout his childhood and early twenties Zeido was heavily into sports; mainly basketball and football. In university he got into long-boarding (similar to a skateboard but longer, like a surfboard on wheels) and he would enter competitions all over North America, Europe, and even South Africa. Those competitions took a toll on his body, he suffered from several injuries, in particular his shoulder as well as chronic back pain. Zeido has always been against taking medicines, so he started doing yoga to strengthen his back muscles and relieve his pain. His interest and love for yoga led him to make a courageous, life changing decision.

Two years ago he decided to take 6 months off from his successful job in Dubai to go on a spiritual journey in search of happiness, peace of mind and a heightened sense of awareness. He went to an Ashram in India, where he became a yogi master. Naturally I was not too pleased with his decision to leave his work at first (cue the water works ha ha). I thought it would be a big risk and I was afraid it would reflect badly on his career. Our generation however is way too cautious, our children (millennials) are more adventurous with their lives –they follow their heart.

During his time in the Ashram we would always Skype with each other and I witnessed a beautiful transformation in my son. He became much more Zen and tranquil. It seemed like he discovered the key to his happiness and that being content and true to himself was more fulfilling to him than climbing up corporate ladders of “success”. His philosophy is accumulating life experiences as opposed to accumulating actual things in life. I am so proud of his choices and the way he values his ideas and beliefs. After leaving his job for 6 months, he came back to Dubai and found an even better job than his previous one.

Naturally all parents want to see their children happy, but we must learn to allow them to choose the path they wish to follow, even if that path is different from our choice. Our job is to encourage and support them to follow their dreams and their heart. We must remind ourselves that each generation has their own beliefs and ideas. We can dish out our advice, help guide and point out potential pit falls that they might encounter, while trusting them and respecting their choices.

It is during this serene period of his life, he found his soulmate, his beautiful, amazing, lovely bride entered his heart, and he proposed to our gorgeous, sweet Reem. From the day we met her she waltzed into our family and into our hearts, she is the loving nurturing daughter we never had. Seeing them both so happily in love is such a blessing, and has given me so much joy and peace of mind.

I feel reassured about their future together and convinced in their choices. I can clearly see them creating a beautiful family and living in perfect harmony together. I can see my son has found someone very special, and they will share a happy life with each other. We are truly blessed with Reemo’s addition to our family.