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My Hijab Story
My story is really lame. But I will tell it anyway. LOL. I was living in Palestine, attending school there. School was out at the time, so I was visiting my aunt. She was like my surrogate mother since I was living in Palestine only during the school year, and then I would come back to the US and spend the summer with my family here. That day, after my aunt put on her scarf so that she can go out and tend to the plants around her home, I decided to try on the spare scarf that was hanging on the door. It was a mangled scarf, one she wore while she baked bread (in special bread ovens that are outside the home). I just wanted to try it on and see how it felt to be wearing it outside. I was 12 at the time. I followed my aunt outside and she looked at me funny and asked if I just decide to wear the hijab. I said no, not yet, but I justed wanted to get a feel for it. She smiled and told me to do as I please. So there I was, just hanging around, climbing trees and stuff (fruit bearing trees like, apricot, berries, and pear trees) collecting what was ripe and having fun. The area where my family comes from in Palestine is a village, and each home is situated on a good plot of land that is used for planting everything one can imagine. The homes are usually torwards the front of the land, facing each other across small streets, and the land is in the back of the homes. One of the neighbors of my aunt saw here outside, and came over to chit chat. This is around the afternoon, where the women of the neighborhood go meet at one persons house under a tree, and the men at another house. So soon enough, a couple of other women came over. I was just strolling around when I saw the women. So I went over to give my Salam. I totally forgot about the scarf. When I went over, all the women were happy and congratulating me. Then I remembered about the scarf. So now I was feeling silly, and I just thanked them. I figured I couldn't take off the hijab now since everyone saw me and figured I started wearing it. So I just kept on wearing it from that day on. But, I bought new scarves and stopped wearing tatered ones.
Not long after, I decided to stop wearing pants, and stick with Jilabebs, long dresses, and skirts.
Subhan Allah, people always ask me how long I have been wearing the hijab...and often are suprised when I tell them over ten years now esp since I was born here and my family has been in this country for a very long time. My mom and aunt were some of the first people to wear the hijab and jilbab in this country, or atleast in Chicago....25 years and over......besides the fact that if they weren't born here, they came to the US mere months old. Alhamdulilah. Those that say you can't practice true Islam here...or bring Islamic khayr to this country don't know what they are talking about. When my mom and aunts decided to wear the Jelbab...very few people even in Palestine wore it. They wore either the traditional village dress or 'modern' clothes. Even properly wearing the scarf wasn't big. My family has been in this country for a very long time. My grand-ancestors first came here and helped pave way for others. This is a time when Muslims or not, people just assimliated and melted in the pot. But, Alhamdulilah, our ties with our 'homeland' and Islam were and are still very strong despite it and due in part to it. 
Anyway...that's my lame story. Only thing I regret is not getting a hijab wearing party like my sisters or cousin. 
That's why it sometimes sucks being the oldest....your parents don't get creative till the second or third comes along.
Ah well....I'll keep it in mind maybe for my daughter.
