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 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?
What’s a skill you consider basic, that most people don’t actually know how to do?
If there’s a basic skill that most people don’t know, I think a superhero is urgently needed to reveal it.
But wait… superheroes don’t know basic skills, do they?
They mainly handle complicated missions with super-duper techniques.
So don’t expect superheroes to be any help with basic skills.
And if most humans need an instructor for basic skills, then they can rest aside for a bit.
Instead… can we think of other creatures who really know some basic skills most humans don’t?
No, please, don’t think of devils.
There are enough humans in devil’s clothing in the world.
Besides, all devilish “basic skills” would be nothing but devilish.
What about angels?
But angels are more protective than instructive.
They’re our pure guardians, not instructors.
What’s left?
Animals?
Yes, they can do.
Wouldn’t Darwin’s theory of “the Descent of Man” support this idea?
I’m not supportive of Darwin’s theory, but let’s pretend his argument was simply that animals know many basic skill most humans don’t.
Have you read I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki?
I’m not sure if I ever wrote a review of this book.
Anyway, it crossed my mind as I was writing this post.
You know why?
Because the cat, this cute creature, was the main character and the narrator in the book.
And… she actually gives one of the most important basic skills I believe most humans don’t know, even though it’s very basic, and so simple.
Here’s the cat revealing the basic skill most people don’t do:
“In my opinion, there is nothing more unbecoming in the human type than its indecent habit of sleeping with the mouth open. Never in a lifetime would a cat be caught in such degenerate conduct. The mouth and the nose have their separate functions: the former is provided for the making of sounds and the latter for respiratory purposes.”
Thanks, Cat, and I’m glad to say I’m well acquainted with this basic skills, and thank the Lord I’m saved from this indecent habit.
What’s a chapter of your life you’d title “The Hard Years” — and what got you through it?
Life is life.
Sometimes it feels like paradise, and other times it feels like hell.
Sometimes it goes easy and smooth, and other times it goes rough and spiky.
And… sometimes it’s full of promises, and other times it’s full of warnings.
Then you start wondering why life changes, why it is unstable, and why it is unpredictable.
But you know why, don’t you?
Because it’s temporary.
And if you’re thinking beyond the Big Bang, you will definitely believe that life is a big test.
So … hard times come and go.
They may last for days, months, or years.
And based on the unsteady nature of life, everyone is expected to have a share of those hard times.
How we handle those hard times depends mostly on who we are.
Some people try not to think back, not to remember the pain, and to forgive the hurt. Others stay in the past, replay the pain, and never forgive the hurt.
By the way, these some and others are not about angels and devils.
If you could erase one trend from history, what would it be?
You know, if I were ever in charge of this thing called “trend,” I would erase all them, including the word itself.
Really, things aren’t “every now and then” anymore. They are every second, everywhere.
It feels as if people are using copy and paste technique without pausing to think, to question, or even to say no.
And for God’s sake, what is a trend?
It is mostly about someone known as an influencer or a celebrity, whatever label with millions watching, who wears something, buys something, says something, listens to something, eats something, or whatever they offer. And people swallow everything without testing, tasting, or even digesting, then recommend that madness to others. And others follow, running breathless after this and that and those. But then, time slips by unnoticed, unappreciated, and unvalued.
Wouldn’t it be calmer if there were a law to slow down these overflowing trends, perhaps by limiting what can be shared or saved?
If that happened, trends would be fewer, the copycats fewer, and our brains might finally relax, breathe again, and perhaps work more efficiently.
