Joy Drop: It's important to embrace the wins and savour the happiness

Friends, I spent a week in the sun and have returned after a lot of sunshine and aqua aerobics. I am back sharing this week's moments of joy. Immediately after I returned from vacation, I attended a basketball tournament co-organized by Hijabi Ballers and the Muslim Women's Summer Basketball League (MWSBL).

The event was hosted by MLSE Launchpad and accommodated for ladies-only for the whole day. The award ceremonies were open to wider community and family members. It was an amazing day full of seminars, workshops and development sessions

The competition was tough and the winning team Muslim Girls Hoop Too had two former players from NCAA Division I so the final was thrilling — as expected.

It is so important to see all these organizations grow and become foundations in the community. They are such a strength and I was honoured to speak to the group at the end of the day. It was a very poignant reminder that as we do the work, it's also important to embrace the wins and savour the happiness.

There are a few books that I want to highlight. It's Women's History Month and I am so excited to have gotten my hands on Hoop Muses: An Insider's Guide to Pop Culture and the (Women's) Game, a book written by Kate Fagan and illustrated by Sophia Chang. It was curated by Seimone Augustus.

It's an absolutely beautiful book packed with history and untold stories about women's basketball complete with phenomenal illustrations.

The next book that has me excited and intrigued is a publication from a football writer in the UK named Nooruddean Choudry titled Inshallah United: A Story of Faith and Football. I have known of Choudry (lovingly called "Noz") and his work for a long time. He's a brilliant commentator and a die-hard Manchester United fan. His book is about growing up during arguably the most successful time of the club as a Muslim and how those identities meshed. He's witty and relevant and I can't wait to read his memoir.

This weekend the PHF playoffs begin in Toronto and I'm super excited to watch a game. I have attended a few Toronto Six games and am happy to cheer on the hometown team while wearing my Saroya Tinker jersey.

We know the Oscars were last weekend and that there were many wins that were particularly celebrated (Michelle Yeow and Ke Huy Quan) but one winner that got my attention was The Elephant Whisperers — winner in the Best Documentary (Short Subject) category. It is the first Indian film to win an Oscar. And it was two women at the helm of the project that took over five years to make. It is a breathtaking story of a South Indian couple, Bomman and Bellie, taking care of a baby elephant named Raghu. But it's about family, love, nature and humanity.

I love elephants and I can't wait to watch it. I appreciate stories that connect humanity with animals. That kind of dedication and kindness goes a long way towards a different type of necessary peace.

I leave you with another type of compassion and care, a very "Canadian" moment: someone saving a Tim Horton's coffee off of another driver's roof!