Everyone’s Story Matters: A Reflection on Zarina Mia’s Writing Journey
Jelaluddin Rumi, the 13th-century Sufi mystic, writes:
“I was a hidden treasure and I desired to be known.”
This may or may not have been drawn from a hadith qudsi — the sacred sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) — about the Divine desire for creation, but it speaks beautifully to the essence of creativity and realisation.
The process of writing is, in many ways, an engagement with the self — a mediation of thoughts and emotions, distilled to capture meaning. It opens a flow to the hidden tributaries of being. In this sense, writing becomes valuable firstly to oneself — as a means of discovering the latent self.
Zarina Mia confirms this in her introductory note:
“In telling my story, I also speak to myself… I become an observer of my own narrative, uncovering new insights along the way.”
The impulse for creative expression — to realise and understand oneself — is what makes us truly human. Everyone’s story matters, as Zarina both affirms and asserts. We are all made of story — its churning layers and quiet complexities calling for creative release.
In Zarina’s case, this connection runs deep within her family. Her beloved mother, Zulekha Mamdoo, left school at Grade 6 and was married at 14. Yet, she was among the wisest of souls — deeply reflective and spiritually attuned. She expressed herself through poetry and na‘ts set to melody, pieces that often remained unseen and unheard by others.
In many ways, this was the genesis of Zarina’s own writing. Her book began as a collection of WhatsApp musings shared with a small circle of friends — reflections that eventually caught the attention of publishers. That these private thoughts, drawn from the happenings of her everyday life, have now found a wider audience is remarkable — an affirmation that everyone’s story matters.
Zarina gently lifts the veil on the inner life — of self, family, friends, colleagues, and community. She writes of the minutiae of daily living: opening a tap, peeling an orange, waiting on a hospital bench, selling a beloved old car, preparing a communal salad, flying a kite, losing a job, walking in the park, or being served in a shop. Through each, she illuminates the ordinary with faith and spirituality.
“True beauty lies… in the vision to see beyond the ordinary,” she writes.
This simple truth anchors her reflections on 73 years of life — a life marked by grace, gratitude, and meaning. Each moment, no matter how small, is rendered universal, carrying wisdom and blessing for all.
In Joseph Campbell’s concept of the Hero’s Journey, the final stage is the hero’s return — bringing back a gift of wisdom, healing, or insight for the community. Zarina’s book feels like such a return: her reflections are the treasures she brings back from her life’s journey, offered for our benefit.
“May you find a part of yourself in these reflections,” she concludes, “as I have found myself in writing them.”
— Feizel Mamdoo, September 2025