Last to last year, we had to travel to India on a very short notice. In the rush of packing, I washed my rolling pin and placed it in the cabinet without properly drying it. When we returned after couple of months, I found it covered in mold and fungus.
MashaAllah, my family, with their beautiful positive outlook, simply smiled and said,
“Good that it got spoiled. At least you will not be making rotis for a while and can finally get some rest after such exhausting travel.”
A few days later, we bought another one. But it was not the same. I could not find the rolling pin I was used to. It may sound small, but anyone who cooks regularly knows that some tools quietly become part of your routine, your comfort, your rhythm.
Years passed.
And yesterday, MashaAllah, my younger one brought home the exact same rolling pin I used to have. The same kind. The same feel, infact better in design.
These are small moments, yet they are deeply beautiful and worthy of being cherished. I was genuinely moved that he remembered this even after years.
We live in a capitalist world where gifts are celebrated only when they are expensive or branded. Thoughtfulness, memory, and the time someone takes to truly notice are slowly losing their value. Alongside this, we are also living in an age shaped by neo Marxist thinking. A worldview that trains people to read every relationship through the lens of power rather than care.
In such a mindset, kindness is no longer simply kindness. It is examined for hidden motives. A gift is no longer a gesture of love. It becomes a symbol of control. A role is no longer cooperation. It becomes confinement. Even the most ordinary moments of family life are quietly placed on trial.
Like in this case, the neo-marxist thinking would be,
“Oh, I was given a rolling pin so that I remain confined to the kitchen. So that I stay within certain limits. So that my life remains controlled, measured, and defined by a role rather than appreciated as a person. So that my worth is reduced to a task and my presence is translated into labor rather than love.” Such is the neo-marxist mindset 🤯
May Allah Al-Hafeez protect us from such toxic mindsets. Ameen.