A book to Read Over and Over: The Rumi Prescription by Melody Moezzi
I was a very sensitive child, the way things are today, I would have possibly been given a diagnosis of a sensory processing disorder of some sort. I could not tolerate too much of anything! I would get overwhelmed quickly and my defence mechanism was to scream at the top of my voice to block everything out. To this day I remember how liberating it was and how it warded off anyone and anything.
I also had a low pain threshold, I felt pain more deeply than the average child. Going for dental appointments was always traumatic, stressful, and painful and I would always drag my dad along for support. He was a Physician and very relaxed about pain or any kind of medical intervention.
If I was in any kind of pain for any reason he would calmly say: It's nothing to worry about, probably just a minor cold!
طوری نیست سرما خوردی
I used to find comfort in my dad’s words.
Recently I had to go for a major dentist appointment and was feeling very nervous, walking through Greenwich Park and having a conversation in my head with my beloved father who passed away seven years ago. Feeling his presence and wishing I could talk to him, just to hear his deep and calm voice again. The feelings of longing came over me once more, and my eyes started to well up with tears. To distract myself I started to search for something to listen to. The first thing that caught my eye was on CIIS podcast: "Exploring Rumi to make sense of ourselves: Melody Moezzi"
I thought to myself "This could be just what I need right now. Let’s see what a fellow Iranian is saying about Rumi and how we make sense of ourselves"!
And so I listened to Melody introducing her new book, talking about her mental health and how her father, a Physician, always wrote poetry prescriptions to her as well as medical ones. This stopped me in my tracks and I listened more closely.
I was gobsmacked! It was just like hearing my dad talking to me. This was his sign to me, his way of saying "Don’t be nervous I am right by your side". There was such synchronicity between Melody's words and the conversation I was having with myself in my head. I sat on the grass overlooking the Queen’s House in beautiful Greenwich Park and cried for a while, rewinding and re-listening too every word Melody said.
"There is another father and daughter out there just like us baba… thank you for introducing them to me. And that daughter has decided to write about her bond with her father, and the value of it, in the form of a book. How beautiful is this?" My heart started beating faster, I felt my dad’s presence so strongly as if he was holding my hand tightly and with warmth and gentleness saying to me "Don’t worry it will be all fine".
I had no doubt and I immediately downloaded the audiobook and went for that appointment with more courage than before. The dentist appointment went well. The dentist was very gentle, caring, and mindful of my anxiety. He took the time to explain the procedure and even joked around to ease my anxiety. This to me was also another sign of my dad’s presence.
On my way back I started to listen to the audiobook and decided to find Melody on social media and write to her to say HOW MUCH this book meant to me. How much I appreciate her having the courage to write about her mental health so openly, and also to write about her strong bond with her father. The true unconditional love he has for her which has also helped her access the true wisdom and essence of Rumi. How we can use this ancient wisdom which is embedded in our roots to help us understand ourselves better so we can deal with what our fast and modern lives throw at us more effectively. Also how much I loved all the Farsi phrases she has added to make her conversation with her dad come to life. For an author who writes in English, it must be quite risky to weave through a foreign tongue in her book yet if she didn’t take this risk the book wouldn’t be as sweet as it is now. It would have lost its intimacy.
Reading her book also gave me hope that one day maybe my son who has been born and raised here in London (who roles his eyes the moment I mention anything about my culture, be it poetry, music or film) becomes interested in his roots and heritage beyond the food!
Melody replied almost immediately. She has sent me a signed copy of her book which I received yesterday after a long day at work. I am most grateful for her generous and kind gesture.
I have listened to the audiobook twice already and I started reading the actual book last night.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone, in this book you will find poetry, Iranian culture, reflections on living in exile, unconditional love and its magical cure, bravery, courage and embracing who one really is.
To me, this book is a perfect remedy for all of us during 2020, the pandemic, and beyond.
If you are interested in reading this book you can find it in most online book stores.
To buy the paper version click here and to buy the Audible version click here.
To listen to Melody Moezzi: Exploring Rumi to Make Sense of Ourselves CIIS podcast click here
