Eid is about winning - the celebration for Muslims who succeeded in conquering their worldly wants and ego during Ramadhan. But it does not always feel like a happy occasion for some.
I had a very interesting Eid this year (maybe because I took leave for one whole week and accidentally became the main adult in the house 😒)
My beloved grandmother passed away in 2020 on the evening of the first day of Eid. She was our matriarch, and it was hard adjusting to our lives without her. Eid and Ramadhan were always her thing - she would plan all the meals and celebrations, the house visits, the guests' schedules and all the other important stuff. We all miss her, of course: my parents, my aunts and uncles, my siblings, my children, my cousins, and all those who knew her.
But I think that hiding in grief would be an insult to her memory. She was always someone who was welcoming whenever guests were over - nothing made her happier than meeting her relatives and friends and making sure they had enough to eat. She would be beaming with happiness whenever someone complimented her cooking or her house. Nothing made her happier during Eid than giving to others, and she always said that that is the reason why Allah blessed her with this wealth. She would fill the house with laughter and smiles until she collapsed on her bed, filled with satisfaction.
I think that keeping her memories alive by celebrating Eid the way she always did when she was alive does not mean that we do not grief or that we have forgotten about her.
I think that if we love someone, we would want to keep doing the things that made them happy even when they are gone, and, I think, that if someone truly loves you, nothing would have made them happier than seeing you happy.
Sure, the memories hurt. But for us who are alive and who had a positive relationship with someone who died, keeping happy is one of the ways to show that you have never ever forgotten about that special someone who always made sure you are happy when they were alive.

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