Dear Siham,
When we look back at our Saturday mornings together, it's not just the books we remember—it's the rituals. The scrape of chairs as we pulled up to the table, the steam curling over fresh coffee and tea, the comfortable silence before someone read a passage aloud, and the spirited debates that followed.
You used to come to our reading group every single Saturday, bringing your sharp mind, quiet wisdom, and unforgettable good humor to the conversation. Whenever a passage seemed dense or impenetrable, you had that special knack for pausing, smiling, and finding the human truth hidden right beneath the words.
Finishing Robert Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance together was a journey we will never forget. As we tracked the open highways of Minnesota and the Dakotas, debated classical versus romantic perspectives, and unpacked what "Quality" really means, your presence made the Chautauqua come alive.
Even though time and schedules shift, please know this: on any given Saturday morning, when the books open and the tea is poured, you are there in our stories and in our fondest memories. We all wanted to come together today to wish you the happiest, richest, most fulfilling birthday yet.