What’s something you do completely differently from how you were raised?
In Arabic, there’s a saying or perhaps an old adage says: I’m not going to live in my father’s garment.
Actually, this saying became the title of a famous TV drama in the nineties.
Anyway, parents, in most cases, want their children to live a far better than life than they did. That’s why they often work hard, save money, and build big dreams for the future of their children.
And, sometimes, parents believe that their children will always follow their footsteps.
But the thing is, life is unexpected.
And this garment whatever it may be; a profession, a business, or even certain traites, won’t always fit the size of their children.
So…even though you and your siblings may have been raised in the same way, your lives don’t have to be the same.
It’s not only about choices, whether to follow this path or that, but it’s also about how life changes, and how it changes you along the way.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever found randomly on the street?
On familiar roads, streets, and cities, memories are often the first things to rise and flow one after another as you walk along and through them.
Have you ever experienced that quiet feeling of nostalgia?
I have.
As you walk along a familiar street, a memory of an old friend, a joke, or even a phone call might pop up into your head without any warning.
Those moments are actually the best gifts you may find along the road, and they may be the most precious too.
Whenever I visit Manchester and walk along Oxford road, where Manchester University is, the memories of our first days in the UK rush back into my mind as if it was yesterday.
Things have changed, though; with new shops, new buildings, and of course new faces, but I don’t mind. My first memories of this city always come back fresh and strong.
There, in the university accommodation which still has its unique name, Horniman House, we lived for quite a few years.
On this road, I walked with new friends from different countries.
On this road, I heard the Manchester accent that was so different from the English I learned throughout my entire education.
On this road, I knew how it felt like to be soaked by the British heavy showers.
On this road, I got my first sunburn under the British glaring, bossy sun.
And there are more and more memories, I find along this road whenever I go there, but that’s enough for now.
What’s a book you never finished but still think about?
Years ago, during the final steps of my wedding preparations, my mother insisted that I should have one of those well- known cooking books in my new home. She had already bought me one before I had even thought about it.
Before getting married, I used to help in the kitchen, but I had never been in charge of making full meals or anything complicated.
So my mother (may God bless her soul) believed that a cooking book would be a good help.
Honestly, I never used it, and I have no idea where I left it.
I might have had a look at it, though, but that was all.
Since then, whenever a booking book, with its colourful, mouth watering pictures and recipes, fell into my hands, I would give it a quick scan and put it back where I found it.
This doesn’t mean I don’t like cooking, because I do.
The thing is, perfection, consistency, exact measurements, are not on every woman’s cooking agenda.
By the way, would you really pause one day to think about a book that you never finished?
If the book was really of any interest to you, then you would have finished it.
Otherwise, you’d ruffle through its pages and quietly set it aside without anyone noticing.
What’s a conspiracy theory you actually find believable?
I used to believe seagulls were fish eaters.
Really.
And I never imagined they could be that big until I moved to
the UK many years ago
But they’re not only getting bigger, they’re multiplying.
And… they don’t seem interested in fish anymore.
They have changed their diet to human food, any kind of food, even the discarded leftovers in the food waste bins.
Apparently they have changed their own conspiracy theory about food hunting over the years. Everything changes, so why shouldn’t they?
So, according to my humble observation, their updated theory now consists of two components.
First: the secret agents, the ones positioned on the rooftops, cars, buses, and those who walk side by side next to humans along the streets. They try to look cool and cute and well-behaved which is the most important part of the plan to support the second half of the theory.
Then comes the critical part, the job reserved for their professional leaders. When the right moment arrives, the gull commanders launch into one of their marvellous scuba-dive shows. But neither the dive nor the show has anything to do with marine life. Those big commanders plunge from the high sky, straight, strong, committed, towards their target: human hands. They snatch a poor human’s long-awaited meal.
Yes, they snatch, gulp, swallow any kind of food, you, human, might be enjoying at that very moment.
And you, poor human, are totally oblivious to those gulls’ conspiracy theory.
But recently, It seems that humans finally decided to form their own conspiracy theory against the gulls.
Yes, some old men in a public park were joking about having roasted gulls for dinner.
I only wish they would consider the difference between the wild gulls and the trash-eating ones.
Otherwise, their conspiracy theory does them no good.
The gulls will multiply, and those funny old men will be extinguished.
I once read that there’s some uncertainty surrounding Shakespeare’s writings. According to some researchers, he may have been supported by other writers who added much to his literary works.
Now I’m really uncertain about this news.
But I’m certain that Shakespeare was a main, heavy course during my BA studies years ago.
But again, I’m uncertain whether my lecturers and professors back then were aware of this information.
Anyway, even if there’s uncertainty about his works, I’m pretty certain that no one cares much this piece of news.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Actually, I’ve learned so many good pieces of advice over the years.
Right now, I’m wondering which one might be the best.
Perhaps by the end of this post, I’ll make up my mind and nominate one as the best.
The first piece of advice that crossed my mind is not to eat a heavy meal at night. Some say it’s bad for digestion, and others say it brings awful nightmares. I appreciate this advice, but I’m not much of an eater anyway, and I rarely eat at night unless we’re on holiday, when your routine goes upside down.
The second piece is to make full use of permissions and not try to play the big hero. I learned this one by heart, and I’ve saved it in my mind ever since, always tied to its miserable memory.
One day we were on our light back home from holiday. It happened to be during the holy Month of Ramadan. We are allowed to break our fast in some cases, and travelling is one of them. So my husband didn’t fast, but I did. Why? Because I thought it would be okay. I don’t eat much anyway, and I rarely enjoy the flight food. But of course, it wasn’t okay. A terrible headache struck me, and when I tried to eat or even drink, I couldn’t. This is why I appreciate this piece of advice so much.
The third precious piece is to think positively, to see the cup as half full in any situation. But sometimes the mood loses its efficiency and sensibility, and suddenly the table turns on positivity. Still this is one great piece of advice.
And then there’s this piece about kindness; do at least one good deed every day. This one is beautiful, and what makes it even more beautiful is its simplicity. Your deed doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive; it just needs to be genuine. I think this might be the best advice… but wait I’ve just remembered another one.
Stop following blindly, stop believing everything.
What’s something you used to worry about but don’t anymore?
Well… that reminds me of those old school years when I used to worry far too much about my grades.
Punishment, rewards, and competition were never the real reasons behind those childish worries.
A quiet, shy, dreamy child wouldn’t care much about such concepts, or would she?
But of course, somehow, they found a way to feed my worries.
I used to worry about my grades because I was hardworking and independent in my learning.
My siblings and most of my friends took private lessons to improve their marks.
I didn’t have any… well except for French, but that was only because I didn’t like my French teacher at school.
So a child and later on a teenager, relying on her own self-learning strategy would naturally worry about her grades. Right.
And I never disappointed my parents, my teachers, or myself.
Those old worries have now become good memories.
Years later, when I began my postgraduate studies, I didn’t worry much about achieving perfect results.
Perhaps because a mother has far more important family duties in her heart than the pressure of flawless grades.
And when her sons are in their twenties and her daughter is fourteen, her worries naturally turn towards their choices and decisions, accompanied by a quiet prayer that God always guides them to the right path.
I was scrolling through Insta for a while, then stopped when the notification for the limited time I had set popped onto the screen.
After that, I opened to my reading book; the story is actually interesting, and I am planning to finish it today.
So, just after highlighting a quote, another notification appeared, but, this time, it was WordPress daily prompts.
I paused…
The quote I highlighted is one of my favourites, and the daily prompt asks about my favourite quote.
Can it be a coincidence?
Really.
I didn’t just highlight the quote, I lingered around certain memories. And that was exactly when the prompt appeared, as if nudging me not to lose the moment, to write about it now.
And here’s the quote:
“Forgiveness given is forgiveness gained.”
And here I am, writing about forgiveness.
But first, how do you see forgiveness?
Is it a merit or a fault?
Is it a strength or a weakness?
Is it possible or impossible?
You think… and decide.
As for me, I see Forgiveness exactly as that quote above.
It’s a win, a fair, clean win after an atrocious fight against painful memories, unforgettable hurts, professional lies.
Forgiveness doesn’t come with a silver spoon.
Since there’s a fight, things take time, a really long time, unless you’re an angel, a one-hundred precent angel, who can grant forgiveness straightaway.
Forgiveness shows up in its perfect timing.
This is when you appreciate how blessed, how saved, how strong you are,
when you close your eyes and recollect your bad moments,
and when you whisper to the Creator, asking for His forgiveness.
Then you remember you too need to forgive others.
Once the action is done with pure intention, your life feels brighter, wider, and healthier.
But… just a little note to pin;
you don’t have to include forget in the forgiveness deal.
Nor do you have to befriend or keep in touch with those who hurt you.
Which means things don’t have to end like a dead-end road, but rather like two separate roads.
You forgive and start yours.
They feel relieved and take theirs.
Now… was the quote and the daily prompt a coincidence?
Maybe.
But… can it be a heavenly whisper to extend goodness?
Pure and Simple 