atiek//puspa

I just got back from my 2015 Umrah trip and feel the urge to write what I have taken from it. My first Umrah was in 2007. My father had planned to take his three children to Al Haramain, the two holy cities for Muslims in Mecca and Medina. I was in my 3 rd year in university, and my two brother and sister were unable to join me and my parents. So the three of us were going to Al Haramain. I wasn’t a knowledgeable Muslim back then nor now, I just want to fulfill my wish to visit Mecca for my first flight experience. I knew only basic things like shalat, fasting, and awful ability to read Qur’an properly. During my first trip, I just followed my parents. It was different experience in 2015. After 8 years, I came back to Mecca and Medina. I was with my sister and my father. A lot of things had changed, but most importantly maybe my heart and perspective had changed too. There are few tips and tricks that I have observed to get the most of my Umrah experience. It might be benefic

Anak itu sedang menekuri soal Seleksi Penerimaan Mahasiswa Baru saat istirahat siang. Tahun ini universitas negeri atau tidak sama sekali. Tekad itu sudah ditekankan olehnya sendiri, dan diamini Bapak. Berangkat sekolah jam 6 pagi dan pulang pukul 10 malam. Begitu terus sepanjang hari dalam bulan-bulan persiapan ujian. Ia terkesiap ketika seorang teman sekelasnya yang laki-laki bertanya: "kalau perempuan sekolah tinggi terus menikah gimana? lo mesti ngurus keluarga kan? buat apa sekolah tinggi-tinggi?"  Ia mengangkat kepalanya, lalu tersenyum simpul "kalau berkeluarga, di rumah pun tidak apa. kalau perempuan sekolah ya salah satunya buat mendidik anak dan keluarganya...gak ada halangan buat sekolah tinggi dan ilmunya tetap bermanfaat kan. apa ruginya?" "oh  ya??" Lalu kami pun kembali membahas soal. Ah anak bau matahari ini, apalah yang dia tau soal hidup? Ini salah satu percakapan kecil yang entah kenapa mampu diingat sangat terperinci.