Becoming Someone New (Notes from Chapter 14)

“Suddenly I can feel it, his words of patience telling me to choose right, even when the storms come.”

I was really proud of Nadira at the end of this chapter. She really stood up and made the right decision, even though she was under pressure. Tareq is bad news. I had a feeling that he would be. I was proud of her for calling him and asking for help, because it’s good to ask for help when you need it, but Tareq just wasn’t the right person to ask. I was really happy when she ran out the door of the family with the green cards house. She thought about the consequences, and then evaluated the situation in a very responsible way, and made the right decision.

I was upset when Nadira took the money from Ali-Uncle. That money doesn’t only belong to Nadira, it belongs to Aisha and Ma and Abba. Even though there were good intentions behind her taking the money, it wasn’t hers to take. I’m glad that she didn’t give it to a complete stranger. She really used her head in a tough situation, which was very mature and a step up for her.

I think that Nadira and Aisha are going to break through. I think that Nadira is going to become a lot smarter, in more ways than one; I’m hoping that Aisha will learn that the world doesn’t revolve around her and she’ll learn to be respectful and supportive of her sister. I really think that the two girls are going to learn that it’s okay to depend on each other. That’s what siblings are for. Even though we don’t always get along, you’re stuck together through sickness and through health, just like marriage, and it’s better to embrace that then neglect the relationship.