The blessed month has arrived, and even though I should be dreading the long summer fasts without food and water from about 4:44 am till 8:30 at night, I’m feeling excited.

Last year was one of the best Ramadans I’ve ever experienced.

It was calm and reflective and I’m hoping to carry that sense of peace and spiritual rejuvenation into this year’s observation.

I’ve always wondered if someone were to do a statistical analysis of the crime during the month of Ramadan, if they’d find any dips in the numbers of violent crimes.

It is said that during this month God chains up all the devils, so they have no power to influence us.

Maybe that’s why people who haven’t prayed all year, will do a few prayers in Ramadan, and even fast a few fasts. Some people would disparage this but not me.

God recognizes all good deeds and will not suffer any of them to go unrewarded.

It is a month of mercy, of seeking forgiveness, of contemplation and realigning priorities.

With such long days we have a lot of time to think and a lot less time in the kitchen!

I’m in a very good mood.

Yesterday I wrote a picture book story.

When I was supposed to be writing my two pages of the sequel, instead I wrote a picture book story. And today, when I was typing it up on to the computer, afraid that it would not prove to be as funny as I thought it was when I was composing it, it made me laugh.

That’s a pretty good sign.

Maybe the picture book drought is over.

I certainly hope so!

I do love the genre! There’s something so satisfying about them.

And to make a kid laugh. To see their eyes light up and then the little gears in their heads start whirring, thinking about what the story is really about, is precious!

To wonder what artist the publisher will choose and how they’ll interpret my words, which scenes they’ll decide to illustrate, is exciting!

I know, I know, I’m getting ahead of myself. I haven’t even sold it yet.

But I really do think it’s that good.

We’ll see.

But for now, everybody enjoy this month of blessings.

This month where every good deed is magnified many times over, and every bad deed is still only counted once.

It’s a time to pad that bank account. The one for the hereafter that contains all your good deeds.

Think of it as double bonus points.

No, actually I think it’s like a hundred times bonus points.

They saw the moon in Saudi Arabia, and all over the world, Muslims are united in this month of worship.

Politics, racial and ethnic differences aside, we are united in this one thing.

Peace out.