Thirty days a reflection of three in Ashura

As the sun sets on the eve of Fitr
Thirty days of fast
A tribute of ten times three
We remember the days of Husain
For ten above each on three here
Shores of Euphrates weeps daily

After a long hard three days
On the eve of the fourth
Ten times three 30 days of giving
Earn a place in fortunes
For the 4th is eternity

The ten have foretold
Beckon us three times
We will answer always
Eid ul fitr begins the journey
Back to Ashura on the tenth
For this year coming 1432
The year of 10 and 100.

The Last Fall of the Decade Labors Next Week

As Labor Day of 2010 approaches, you can tell that Summer of 2010 is coming to an end. This September marks the last few days of the last Summer of this decade. This also marks the last Labor Day of a tumultuous decade.

School has started with kids bustling with home work, practices, and various school activities. The sounds of fall and the holiday seasons will start shortly. Temperatures will start drifting lower and our attention will veer away from Summer fun to a more home /holiday season routines.

This year for a billion plus Muslims, Ramadhan will end next week too. Celebrations of Eid will coincide with the end of Summer 2010.

Looking back, this Summer was bitter sweet. When May of 2010 came around, I remember being hopeful and optimistic that the summer will see us on the "road to recovery" - both economically and socially. But now as the summer comes to a close we look back and see that it was bitter sweet.

Our Road to Recovery has been slow and we continue to struggle economically and socially. The Oil Spill and the two wars dominated the news. Various major global disasters like the Pakistan Floods gripped headlines. Unemployment continued to hover around 10 percent and businesses showed news signs of lathargic growth. Whispers of a second recession got louder.

For me as Ramadhan ends, things continue to be tough. My personal road to recovery has been a long journey. The journey is not ended yet. As I enter the fall season, I am hopeful and energized. My company FMW just launched a new online webstore www.fmwfasteners.com. I am excited about its prospects.

My Daughter Jamila started High School. It has been a source of pride for my family as Jamila is now entering her final 4 years of school getting ready for College and being an adult. It amazes me that almost 15 years have gone since she joined our family. It was 15 years ago when I saw myself and Lubaina struggling in a Mail Boxes Etc franchise with a just a few dollars and an uncertain business in our name. The journey from there has been full of surprises and joy. I am thankful for all that has been given to me. Words cannot describe the rich experiences and many great things that have come about for all those years. Looking back there are no regrets at all and that gives me the greatest inspiration for the next 15 years.

In many ways, the journey has been a full circle thus far. I am back again struggling in a new business and things seem to point to new beginnings. But this time around it is also different. My experience, my family and my mindset are all much more richer than before.

So as Fall 2010 approaches, as the leaves turn and the weather cools down, the engines will rev up for the last quarter of the year. Time for sowing the seeds for the next decade start this Fall. We will take advantage of this renewed spirit to build the very foundations that will drive us for the next 10 years.

Mubarak! Congratulations to all that have survived! I bid you farewell Summer of 2010 as you leave us taking with you the challenges of the past. Ahlan Wasahlan, Welcome! Fall of 2010....the last quarter, the last days and the last stand for 2010. We are ready to execute as we move to 2011.