When I find blogs in enjoy it’s inevitable that I want to know more about the person behind it. I’ll read their about page. And I always hope to see their photo. I think the photo helps me connect even more.
Of course I could make it easier for you to find a photo of me on my blog (that’s coming soon, btw). So when my good friend David Airey started his Face Behind the Blog Collection, I knew I wanted to join in.
David writes:
Putting a face to the name of someone you haven’t met helps recognition and adds a more personal feel to your conversations.
What photograph shows you in a light we don’t often see through your blog?
A few others have joined in so far.
- Gayla at Mom Gadget
- Char at Essential Keystrokes
- Robyn at Practical Blogging
- Paul at Reflections
- Rob at 2Dolphins
- Zep at The In-Sect
- Ingo at Stixster
- Stevie at Lost In Cyberspace
- The Paper Bull
So now it’s my turn. Below I’ve placed a few photos of me, my wife and my kids. I figure since nothing about me is complete without my family, you should meet them as well.
That’s us this past Christmas (2006). Clockwise from top left: My wife, Sabira; me; my 3-year-old daughter A’esha; and my 1 year-old son Ahmed.
Sabira and I married after knowing each other three weeks. The night we met it took about 30 minutes for us both to realize we’d spend the rest of our life together.
If you’re wondering about the garb, I’ve been seriously studying Sufism since 1997. It’s quite literally the foundation of my life. But that’s a bit of story.
This is Sabira and I at Bryce Canyon, UT in January 2003, a few months after we married. It was cold in Bryce that time of year. But we we pretty much had the park to ourselves.
Here Sabira and I are shortly after moving from Angwin, CA to Chelsea, MI in the spring of 2003. Moved, bought a house, gutted it and began rebuilding – until A’esha decided she wanted to join us.
Here’s me beginning a backpacking trip the summer of 2003. Since 1992, I’ve spent more than 500 nights in the backcountry all over the U.S. and Canada. I’m also a sea kayaker, mountaineer, and have ice climbed. Yeah, I used to be in much better shape.
Here’s A’esha a few days after her birth in December 2003. She was born in our home with two amazing midwives. My wife was incredible.
And here she is just a week ago (almost 3 1/2). Gosh they grow up quickly.
Ahmed (and A’esha) shortly after his birth in March 2006. He was also born at home – in pool. The water birth was an incredible experience for Sabira. A’esha holding him isn’t a rare sight – even today.
And here’s Ahmed just a few weeks ago at 13 months. He laughs a ton, is walking and more than anything just loves to follow his sister around. And unlike A’esha, I’m the only one who can get him to sleep at night.
There is one more family member I don’t have a photo of yet. We’re four months pregnant. We won’t get an ultrasound nor will we find out the sex of the baby beforehand. We’ll just wait to see what surprise is waiting for us in November. Be sure you’ll hear about it.
So you now know a bit more about me and you’ve ‘met’ my family. I’m a very hands-on dad, which can make working from home difficult at times. But I love it. I love being able to have lunch with my kids or watch them run around in the back yard while I work.
Now I want to know more about you. Please join in the conversation, ask me questions or tell me how cute my kids are (that never gets old). But ask away. I’ll tell you anything I can.
And I’m also going to tag a few others. You can go to David’s blog to see the details of how to post for The Face Behind the Blog. So I’m tagging:
- Liz Strauss from successful-blog.com
- Dave Olson from daveolson.ca
- Adam Kayce from monkatwork.com
- Edward Mills from evolvingtimes.com
- Wendy Piersall from emomsathome.com
- Chris Cree from SuccessCREEations.com
- Phil Gerbyshak from makeitgreat.typepad.com
- Easton Ellsworth from businessblogwire.com
- Tony D. Clark from successfromthenest.com
- Mark Goodyear from goodwordediting.com
- Kammie Kobyleski from passionmeetspurpose.com
- Lisa Gates from designyourwritinglife.com
- Ben Yoskovitz from instigatorblog.com
- Jesse Peterson from gitrsblog.us
- Jonathan-C Phillips from smartwealthyrich.com
- Randa Clay from randaclay.com
- Armen from iffect.net
And if anyone else wants to join in, please, feel free.
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My name is Dawud Miracle and I'm a
146 responses so far ↓
nice to meet your and your fmaily!
very cute kids, ma!
Very interesting photos – you have a beautiful family, and good luck with the new addition!
Well done for taking part, and for the ping too!
Dawud,
Thanks for sharing this with us! Your family is beautiful.
PS – I tagged you today (runs and hides) for yet another meme – but it is more like this one, part two.
Click this link.
Dawud,
This is a fantastic entry! You have a truly beautiful family and I wish you and your three kids every success.
The photo of A’esha holding Ahmed is superb! I hope that one day I can have a similarly healthy family to be proud of.
Thank you for contributing. I’ve enjoyed this insight into your life.
Dawud: Thanks for the tag! And thanks for the wonderful sharing. It’s great to see the “real you” and get a glimpse of the face behind the blog and the voice. Did you ever do the hike up Horsetail Falls into Desolation Wilderness? That one always kicks my butt! Perhaps one day our paths will cross – intentionally or otherwise – out there in the mountains or on the water!
Yep. That’s pretty much the Dawud I saw in Chicago. You got a good looking family, man.
And I had not heard of Sufism before! Thanks for introducing me. So much knowledge in the world, so little time.
shaz,
Thanks. Please, if you have some photos to share, let me know.
Paul,
Thanks so much – on all levels (I think my family is quite beautiful too). We’re excited about our growing family.
Char,
Thanks. As I said with Paul, I’m pretty partial to them. I’ll check out the meme as soon as I catch up with my comments.
David,
Sorry it took so long to get this up. I wanted to honor my family by doing it well. Seems like I succeeded.
Love is the key to every door – especially having a family.
Edward,
Thanks. I have been up to Horsefalls a couple of times. When I living in CA (4 years) though, I spent most of my hiking time in the Trinity Alps or Yosemite. I’d love to spend a lifetime exploring Trinity. And I still want to do the John Muir.
Backpacking has slowed quite a bit since kids. Though I am taking my daughter on her first backpacking trip in a few weeks. She’s so excited.
Mark,
Thanks. When I went through my photos from SOBCon, I had a couple of you – one at our Indian dinner. Great to meet you, man.
Sufism is a very interesting – and very deep – path. I started blogging about a year and a half ago. I found, however, that it took too much time from my business so I shut it down. Let me know if you have any questions around it. I’m very open to talking about Sufism in ways that doesn’t make other paths wrong.
No need to apologise whatsoever, Dawud.
I never expected that anyone would like to take part, so to have had the response so far is great! Some of the people you tagged aren’t yet on my blog radar so I’m going to go and check them out now.
Thanks for sharing the photos, Dawud. I loved them all, but my favorite is the recent picture of Ahmed. That is some serious cuteness!! Makes you want to bottle it up somehow and save it for a dreary day. Precious treasures, these children are.
Thanks!
David,
Thanks. I wanted to tag a whole bunch of people, but kept my list ‘small.’ Really, I think this meme is a great idea. I mean, we’re in it to know each other, right?
Jean,
You’re so welcome.
Dawud… great pictures. Makes me feel like I know you a little better now. You really do have a beautiful family. Married after three weeks… do tell more! I’ll see what I can do about accepting your tag. It’s just hard to transfer the old stone drawings into digital format.
Connie,
Certain. And thanks for your kind words. I’m truly blown away with my kids – and I live with them every day. What blows me away most is how much they love each other. Remarkable.
Dave,
Thanks. Perhaps I’ll write a post or two about how my wife and I met and married. It’s really an amazing story.
I have an idea for transferring those old stone drawings: Do a charcoal rub and then scan the rub. That will give us a good ‘impression’ of you (ha ha).
Thanks again for the wonderful photos. They warm my heart. Notice the present tense…this is not the first time I’ve looked at them.
Two questions: How did you become interested in Sufism? Why did you move from CA to MI?
The picture of Bryce Canyon brought back memories. My husband and I went there early one spring. It was cold, but the snow on the rocks made them incredibly beautiful. And, like you, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
Beautiful family Dawud! Your kids are so cute! Thanks for the tag (I think…)
Jean,
Ah…thanks Jean.
Good questions. CA to MI – basically, returned to raise have a family around my family. But we’re not considering this our final home.
Sufism…much bigger question. I started on a spiritual search before I left high school. I studied or looked at many religions and spiritual paths. When I found Sufism at 26, it was the first time I felt that the path was describing how I felt inside. Sufism, specifically the brand of it I’ve learned though my Guide, is simply the framework for things I already knew inside. So it was like coming home.
Helpful? Obviously the story is much bigger.
Randa,
Thanks. I tagged you on purpose. I’d love to know a bit more about you.
Dawud… would that be a rubdown? I’d have to go for a run first. Point me to the massage therapist.
Dave,
Think it would. I do know someone. Where are you?
Dawud… I’m out in Beautiful British Columbia. Smack dab in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. Pretty hard to beat my front window for a million dollar view.
Oh yeah… can the therapist get rid of the kink in my neck? You know the one from gazing at the great faces behind the blogs on my laptop.
Hey i know that guy in the pictures! I swear i saw him! lol
Cool pics! You have a beautiful familly buddy! Count me in for the tag!
Wow, Dawud. I know it’s been said a lot already, but I’ll say it again – what a beautiful family.
I’m way behind on the meme thing. I never know how to fit them in and stay on topic. But I’m going to do a catch-up post to knock out a few, and to see what others do about keeping up with them.
This is a cool one. Nice to put some faces to the stories
Dave,
Ooh, sounds lovely. I have a real soft spot for anything related to mountains. I’ll ask the therapist about your neck.
Jonathan,
Isn’t that a nice post?
You’re right…it’s me. Thanks. I can’t wait to see a bit more of your life.
Tony,
Thank you. It’s also said a lot, but I really feel blessed for my wife and our kids. Words really can’t express how I feel about my family.
I know what you mean about the meme thing. I had a back up a while back. Some got dropped just for time. I’ve also decided I that I’m only doing memes that add value to the people who are reading my blog.
I hope you can get around to this one. I’d love to see a bit more about your life.
Ahh…Dawud.
You, and your family radiates love and connection and joy.
I love seeing you in the backpack too – and I invite you out to beautiful BC to hike here, kayak in my front yard and around the islands…bring your family of course!
Nice to see pics of Sabira and your kids, have faces to go with the names.
Sidra looked at them too and is tickled that you guys are pregnant again – she squealed with joy and excitement!
This is a great idea and I even learned something new today. I’ve never heard of Sufism before, but now I know what it is.
I’ve written a Behind the blog-post too.
Dylan,
Thanks. They are beautiful, aren’t they? Of course I’m a bit bias.
Dennis,
Happy to share with you. Let me know any time if you have any questions about it. There are many variations on Sufism. And I’m comfortable talking about it in a way that’s relaxed.
You have a beautiful family! Congratulations on expecting again. I was a November baby myself.
-Laura
Laura,
Thank you. We both love kids. It’s been an amazing ride with the two we have. I’m glad you enjoyed meeting our family.
Two things:
(1) It sounds as if you were originally from the Midwest? If so, how did you happen to go to CA? I was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I have a warm spot in my heart for CA the way it was before it got so crowded.
(2) I just posted the following comment on Adam’s site and thought it was relevant here, too:
“David Wolfe at agelessmarketing.typepad.com uses his picture effectively. It’s on the top left of the main page, with a link to his About page underneath. The picture is of him with a mule, so there’s no way you won’t click to read the story. And the story, of course, is a great metaphor for his approach to life.
So, back to the drawing board. My first page is going to get yet another revision. Anyway, Adam, it’s great example to show your detractors. The guy is both human and an effective business man.”
What a wonderful story you’ve shared with us Dawud. And such beautiful pictures. This could be your about page. Such powerful imagery.
And kudos on the upcoming birth of another beautiful Miracle. The world can’t have enough of folks like you friend!
Great photos.
I have posted family photos from time to time, but I shall join in and post a bunch in a new post right on the front page.
Great idea! Off to check out the originator’s site . ..
Jean,
Ended up in CA to be near a number of good friends. I also worked for a healing school for a while.
I agree about Adam. And, I know him very well. He’s been a dear friend for almost 10 years. He is great guy and a very talented business man. Not to mention a lovely husband and a great dad.
Drew,
We are all people behind our blogs. And that’s the point of blogging to me – people conversing with and building relationships with each other. Same with my business. It’s always people interacting with people.
Phil,
Thanks, Phil. I’ve considered putting photos up on my about page. I’m still a little gun-shy putting up photos of my kids. I want to protect them from any harm – personal or subtle. We’ll see what I decide.
I am going to rewrite my bio page, however, to include more of my personal story.
JHS,
Thanks. Let me know when you get your post up.
Macho Man, Pretty Wife, Cute Kids … wow… what else can you ask for? David’s idea was really superb, but that mean I got to unveil myself pretty soon. Dave Olson just pass the torch to me …
Vivienne,
Can’t wait to ‘meet’ you. Please let me know when the post is up.
I must admit, my life is pretty good. Not without struggles and challenges – as with anyone – and I feel blessed all the same.
Hi Dawud, Your children are so beautiful and it is nice to see the ‘face’ behind this blog… i did mine too ( a brief one). Drop by:
http://homeofficewomen.com/index.php/2007/05/31/the-face-behind-this-blog-doris-chua/
Doris,
Thanks. I’m pretty partial to them as well. I’m heading over to your post right now.
This is my third time back here. I love those pictures! How wonderful to see you in your “natural habitat”! You’ve already seen all of my cool pix at SOBCon, but I’ll try to put some up this weekend . . . let me know if I fall behind on that.
Liz,
I will. I can’t wait to see a broader scope of your life.
Come back as much as you like. It’s my family, whom I see every day. Yet I stop by often too.
Dawud – That’s one heck of a good looking family you’ve got.
I didn’t link back to this post or to David Airey, but I did post some pictures of my newborn, Quinn Alexander Yoskovitz, and I’ll probably post more in the future along with his older brother Sam.
Ben,
Thanks. And truly, right back at ya. For everyone, Ben and his wife just had their second son – Quinn Alexander Yoskovitz.
I would love to see more photos of your family. I’ll be watching for ‘em.
Hey, and thanks for stopping by. I know what newborns are like. Get some sleep, if you have the time. We’re due in early November so I’m already trying to catch up on sleep.
Hi Dawud.
You have a lovely family and your kids are adorable. Very cute.
Rammel,
I’ve not seen you around, I believe. Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation. And thanks for your sentiments around my family. I think they’re pretty special too.
Married? Kids?
You can say I’m new around here.
I found your blog through David Airey.
I’m single, but in relationship with someone.
Rammel,
Well, welcome. I hope that you find some good reads here. And let me know if/when you do your own ‘Face Behind the Blog’ post.
Thanks.
Yes, I have found good articles here. For the “Face Behind the Blog”, I have already done that a couple of days ago. You can see me here
:
http://rammelfirdaus.com/archives/the-face-behind-the-blog/
Rammel,
Thanks. Hope that I continue to add value to your life/work. And…I’m on my way over to your blog right now to ‘meet’ you.
Hi Dawud.
Did you “see” a picture of me? I was reinstalling wordpress the whole day and forgot to upload the picture folders.
Rammel,
No, I didn’t. Is it in place now?
I just checked…and it is. Nice to meet you.
Yes. This time we will be able to “meet” each other.
Rammel,
Thanks.
I’m not ignoring your meme, Dawud.
I haven’t discussed it with my wife yet. Can we still be friends. LOL.
Great to see the rest of your family.
Jesse,
Oh, no worries. We are definitely friends. And it’s right, I feel, to discuss it with your wife first…I did.
Let me know if/when you get something up.
Hi Dawud,
This is a great post. Thanks for sharing your family with us. And congratulations on another addition!
Sandy
Sandy,
Thanks – on all fronts. I loved putting together this post. It made me go through photos of my family – which I have a ton. I certainly do feel blessed.
Hello,
Great site, I’m glad I’m a regular visitor now. What an awesome family you have. Congratulations on the new edition. I’ve been tagged recently, so I’ll see if I can dig up any photos of myself….got tons of my kids, but none of me….figures
Roberta,
Thanks so much. We work very hard as parents – and as a couple.
I’d love the chance to ‘meet’ you and your family, so let me know if you do this meme.
What a beautiful family, Dauwd! I can see that you enjoy the children and your wife a lot. Great post.
Robyn,
Thanks. I love being a family man – being a dad and a husband. Thanks for recognizing that.
You have a beautiful and adorable family, masyaAllah! I wonder how you divide your time working at home while your young kids around. Oh yes, thanks for your consultation yesterday, I have studied how to use stumble upon and have started reviewing other blogs.
I wish I could afford your package consultation:(..
Leah,
Thank you.
I have set office hours when my family knows I’m ‘at work.’ During those times, my wife cares for the kids while I care for my clients.
Great to hear about StumbleUpon. Good luck. I’m always available if/when you’re able to work with me further.
How do you manage your blog and the kids?
Hi! Just posted Face behind the blog as to follow your meme, do visit my blog to know more about me, thanks
Lonely hurts
I love that you have posted so many photos. It really helps your readers get a much better sense of who you (and the people in your life) are.
Beth,
Thanks. Oddly enough, now my kids are older and we have a third child
Having children must be a different feeling.I will have one In july:)
usa,
It’s an amazing and challenging experience all rolled up in one. Enjoy it.
Nice bog you have here. I pretty much lurk the internet when I’m bored and read all I can about the organic lifestyle, but I really liked you view on things. I’ll bookmark the site and subscribe to the feed!
Hey Dawud, Very nice to see you with your family. . you have such a lovely kids. . Hope you are rocking here!!! i can hear that one from the responses. .
Have a nice day!!!
Hi Dawd, what a beaut family! Having a pictorial view helps us know one another better.
I was part of David Airey’s original Face Behind the Blogger and was grateful he had this wonderful idea. Great to see you resurrect it!
You have a lovely family
Cheers!
I’m now 19 and experiencing being a dad. I must say although it feels good it’s still hard. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but to be honest, the hard part is having to balance time. My daughter is great and makes managing her never dreadful. -Teen dad
just wanted to say your kids are Adorable to the max, to cute for words and you guys seem like a happy family, go dad go
I always be touched when I see such happy and friendly family as yours. I have a small daughter too, she is 3 years old.
I wish good luck and great health to all of your family
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