~You don't need to feel Sorry!~

Salam Sisters,

As you all might know I recently began wearing hijab it hasn't even been a year so I still get surprised reactions from people when they see me after awhile with my hair covered. Everybody is different and each person has a different reaction and many people's reaction to my hijab has been fine. The other day something happened that really annoyed me.

So there's this lady who's my mom's friend. She invitd my family to her house for her daughter's birthday party [this was in April] and I got all dressed up in a fancy shalwar and my hijab. I hadn't seen this lady since I started wearing hijab so my family walks in and she greets us and then her jaw drops when she sees me. I smile at her and she asks me "What's that on your head??!" I smiled and I was like a scarf. Then she makes a face and she's like "Did your mom make you do it? Why'd you make her wear that she's young?" My mom says I didn't make her do anything it was her decision. I just smiled and didn't say anything. 

So the other day this lady comes to my house. Apparently she was behind me when I was walking home from the library but I didn't see her. She come's over and she's talking with my mom and when I walk into the room she starts telling my mom how bad she feels for me. She tells my mom how she was walking behind me and how I had a scarf wrapped around my head and was wearing long sleeves in this hot weather and how it's so hot and why I feel the need to wear it. She also says she knows many other Muslims in America and back home and they don't wear it so why do I have too? She goes on a whole big rant about how she feels sorry for me and then my mom tries to explain why we wear the hijab.   

I told her you don't need to feel sorry for me and I do it because I want to please Allah. But, I was really annoyed and frustrated that she felt sorry for me because I was wearing the hijab. I mean if I was sick or had an essay due the next day she could feel sorry for me and I would totally join in with her to talk about how my life sucks but I really didn't think the hijab was something to feel bad about. And I know she's not the only person who feels this way but seriously I just wish they could understand you don't need to feel sorry! 

Anyways, I hope Ramadan's going well for eveyone.

Allahafiz,