There is an open-air rooftop garden in the beautiful hotel in Marrakech where I enjoyed Saturday night’s evening meal. Almost as soon as I was seated, I stood again to take a better photo of the Mosque to the left of my table. The DJ who curated the evening’s music and was stationed just slightly behind my table, came over and beckoned me to follow him to an enclosed corner of the garden where I had a straight photo shot of the mosque AND a bird’s eye view of a huge stork nest where Mama Stork was feeding her babies. At that moment the call to prayer rang out from the mosque. Truly a scene from ancient tales—.

A couple of hours into dinner, while waiting for dessert, the last of the evening call to prayers began to sound—only this time, because of where I was seated, prayer calls came not only from the mosque next to the hotel, but from all the mosques throughout the city—AND from several people dining in the same area, who spontaneously rose to sing the prayers just yards from my table. Had someone tried, they could not have synchronized prayer echos more effectively. This weekend marks the end of Ramadan, a close to multiple prayers and total fasting from sunrise to sunset that have been practiced daily for a bit longer than a month. Families are gathered throughout Morocco for this holiest of holidays. Songs rang out in high definition echoing one another in a swirl of musicality throughout the city; I felt the vibration going forth from everywhere. Swirling songs of prayer, flickering lights from above and below an indigo sky—a moment of  spiritual connection.  I was, at that moment, filled with gratitude for this gift of travel to Morocco, experienced a feeling of connection with people whose belief system is so different from mine—yet I knew we were all one for a time.  I leaned my head onto the back of my chair, let the tears roll in that starlight moment—musical prayers permeating my soul. Joy, fatigue, unity, gratitude, appreciation, mindfulness co-mingled with the mystical sounds of prayer—my cup simply overflowed.  

Eid Mubarak. Loosely translated—a blessed holiday.