Maryam

The name Maryam has come to be associated with many other not-so-Maryam-like meanings. My friends or aunts who have babies or toddlers named Maryam will surely agree.

There's one Maryam who's almost 3 years old now, who is the boss of her house. To anything her mom says, she always replies, "That's right mom!". Her mom calls her The Terminator and it's an extremely difficult task to take her to someone's place. Hence, this Maryam is mostly @ home, entertaining guests in cute lil pink frocks with matching bows. And if she likes you, she'll even feed you! Oh, and she looks equally gorgeous in her red chinese dress, complete with red slippers and a fan. Sigh.

Then there's Maryam who questions the scholars. She often goes to the mosque with her parents, and once, at Asr, after the Imam said, "God is great", in the loudest voice Maryam could muster, this 2 and a half year old started reciting her Fatiha. A few people shifted, trying to shush her up, but there was no stopping Maryam. Later, at home, her mother asked her, "Maryam, why did you embarass mommy like that? What would the Imam sahab have thought of you? "
"But mummy, the Imam forgot to read the Fatiha, and I was just helping him"

Maryam, who's just 3, and a regular visitor to my place, never fails to let everyone know she's in charge. Whether it's wearing other aunties' sandals and walking in them, or unlocking one of our 5 exit doors, or bounding up and down the stairs, she's always high on energy, mashallah. I'm always looking for excuses to invite her over. She climbs on to every chair there is to grab anything within her reach. Actually, that's what Maryam does best- balancing herself on a chair with one foot, tugging on to objects with a hand, and waving with the other. The other foot is generally suspended in air.

And let's not talk about Maryam my mother sends upstairs to wake me up in the mornings when she's visiting. She's as loud as my alarm clock and will have me on the floor in a matter of minutes if I don't get up. And then she'll pretend as if she was reading a book.

oh.. and Maryam who's so cute all over but she mostly clings on to her mother in the presence of strangers. We had a surprise party for a friend, and everyone sat down to eat. Amidst all the conversations, you hear a little voice saying, "Bismillah..." at the head of the table. It's Maryam, who's sitting in her mother's lap, ready to have her dinner.

:)