I’m one of those really cheesy and annoying people that gets super hyped up over holiday stuff, including Ramadan. Especially Ramadan.

Like, as soon as it’s Ramadan I break out all my best Ramadan decor, wear traditional dresses, light up my lanterns, etc. Since I have had children, my excitement has tripled.

This year, however, is a little bit different due to the COVID pandemic. Stores have been shut down, a curfew put into place, and most of us forced to stay home. Not saying that I don’t support these measures as they prevent the spread of the illness and protect our most vulnerable against the illness, but it means no  shopping or buying stuff…. Which in turn means no decorations.

We moved to a different apartment from last Ramadan, so I didn’t have a lot of Ramadan decor left. Most of the paper goods and decor got pitched or lost in the move. So imagine my excitement when I found a Ramadan banner tucked away in a cabinet. I guess the maid put it there and I didn’t realize it. I took it out and placed it in the living room while I was finishing my pre-Ramadan cleaning. I went back later to tape it up, only to discover my toddler found it.

My poor banner is no more.

I have no idea what was going through my 2-year-olds mind, but she completely shredded my banner. She ripped the pennants off the string, then she ripped the pennants into shreds.

At first I was really disappointed. I know she gets really excited when the apartment is decorated, and I wanted her to be excited when she saw it decorated. I believe it’s important to instill a sense of excitement for Ramadan at a young age. I want her to remember Ramadan as a fun, festive time.

But here’s the thing- she will. She will look back on this Ramadan and think it was the best one ever. Her parents are home due to COVID. We are spending a lot of time with her. We’re inventing new and creative ways to entertain her. She’s happy and carefree. She won’t look back and remember that we were confined to the indoors or that the apartment didn’t look festive. What she will remember is the family values we instill. The books we read to her. The games we played.

The decorations don’t matter. Plus, there’s always next year.

Salaam,

KC.