Eid Mubarak

Last weekend, our neighborhood celebrated Eid al Ftr on a hot, Long Island night as the sun slowly sank behind the apartment buildings.  Everyone swarmed the streets, buying, selling, eating, laughing, shouting, just happy to be outside for a breath of air and a breath of relief.  


Women set plastic chairs along the curb and painted each others hands with henna in celebration.  I had my hands done by two charming sisters from Bangladesh who kept me company, chatting like little birds, and who ran off at sunset to bring back samosas so we could all make Iftr together.  A man and his wife pulled up along the curb and poured out glasses of orange juice for one and all.  



It's amazing to see a community that is usually fairly rough around the edges take the time to really look after one another.  It got me choked up and thrilled all at once.  Later that night, in the grocery stores, men were stationed by the produce to help women whose hennaed hands hadn't yet dried select their veggies for the next day.

Everyone together, Eid Mubarak to all,
~Mersydotes  

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