Category: Just writing

Just writing

Be a Wolf, Not a Donkey

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That’s a father’s advice to his children that I came across as I was scrolling through Instagram.

I paused for a few seconds, staring at the post—perhaps you would do the same. The father says: Better to be a wolf that everyone hates than a donkey that everyone rides.

Honestly I believe this father has his own philosophy, but I couldn’t help but set aside his advice and think about the differences between the two animals. Please don’t think I’m  making any reference to the father for humans are not animals … perhaps … sometimes, metaphorically, some may be, if we live just to eat and drink.

So, wolves and donkeys belong to different categories, right?

Wolves are predators—they definitely eat donkeys. They’re aggressive hunters, social within their packs, and well adapted to their environment. Children hate wolves in fiction, and farmers chase them away to protect their livestock. And, there are some humans who hunt wolves professionally, seeking their soft, thick, and expensive fur.

Do you know that wolves within their own families do not hate each other? Actually, they care for, cooperate, and communicate well among themselves. Wolves rely on their prey. They hunt to survive—which is the ultimate aspiration of any animal life.

Donkeys are herbivorous animals. They’re domisticated farm animals. They’re humble, preseverant, cautious, and well adapted to their environment. In my culture, they are not described so kindly, though. If one is lazy, stubborn, or has an awful singing voice, they might be mocked as a donkey.

Donkeys love company and live in herds, which is why they look lonely and miserable when they haven’t others around. But they can also be aggressive—any prey can be when defending itself. They kick, lunge, and bite. Yet, humans don’t hate them, instead, they use them to their full capacity. And, don’t forget that donkeys too live to eat and survive.

Wolves can never belong to a herd of donkeys, and donkeys can never be part of a wolf pack. They both can live around humans, but humans always manage to have the upper hand with both.

So, wouldn’t it be better to live as a human—not a predator or prey, but as a sensible person with free will?

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

On the Train

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Whenever I get on a train, I like to sit next to the window. I enjoy it more when my seat faces the direction the train is heading. If I find out that I’m sitting on the opposite direction, I feel a bit annoyed. But once the train starts moving and picking up speed, I don’t feel any difference.

Some people say that the one sitting by the window sees everything except the road. Do you know what this means? This means that some people become too lost in their own world to see anything else.

Have you ever felt this way?

The train is usually full of different people doing different activities just like in real life. Some read books, some work, some play games, some talk, some eat and drink, some make phone calls, some fall asleep, some watch movies, some listen to music, and some just gaze out of the window.

As the train leaves the station and picks up speed, the scenery shifts and changes rapidly. Only the one sitting by the window can feel this flow, this change— if only they choose to. And then, the mind begins to wander, inviting memories and thoughts to flow too.

That’s why, when you sit by the window, the road remains only in a background while your mind recollecting different things. I gaze at the sky, the trees, the vast green pastures, the distant sea, the nearby river, and the horses, cows an̈d sheep grazing and napping. Meanwhile, I let my mind wander only to good memories—pleasant ones— even if it makes up some. But I also warn it not to spoil the fun.

Sometimes I can’t help but wonder how people can enjoy the journey on the new high speedy trains—those that almost reaching the speed of sound. Why? What is there to enjoy when the rider sees nothing as the train races against time through long, dark tunnels?

So, if you’re taking a train anytime soon, try to sit by the window, gaze out, and think only of good things— pleasant ones. Believe me, you’ll enjoy the journey and feel refreshed.

But if you’re feeling deeply under the weather, just close your eyes and have a little snooze.

Enjoy the week ahead,

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Are You the Same Person?

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Oh, don’t think I’m wondering whether you are a real person or an AI. No, this post isn’t about that.

It’s about how much you’ve changed since you started blogging on WordPress.

It’s a bit hard—no a bit weird— to assess yourself. Of course, you can feel the change in yourself, but it’s just odd to evaluate your own work. You can’t be both the examiner and the examined at the same time, right?

When I first started blogging in 2017, I was looking for some change, or better yet, some adventure. My writings were mostly family–based topics. Step by step, new ideas and thoughts began flowing and flooding into my posts.

Do you know what happened next?

In October 2018, I joined a part-time MA program. Can you believe that without my WordPress blog, I probably wouldn’t have been able to enroll? Why? Because in my application, I needed to attach some of my published work. I would have never believed that my WordPress posts could count as published work, but they did. And two years later, I was awarded my MA degree in Creative Writing. Honestly, I had no idea that one thing would lead me to the other—God’s plan, right?

From 2017 onwards, I felt as if I had discovered a secret garden— one filled with trees, flowers, and beautiful birds. And it wasn’t any far—just around the corner, inside my own mind. The garden wasn’t only colourful but serene, with no mayhem, no pressure, and no fixed times. Just me, my thoughts, and my writing.

It wasn’t until 2020 that I decided to pause my visits to my secret garden–not completely, but mainly my blog.The reason was nothing more than the pandemic, with all its chaos affecting everyone. Still, I can’t believe that pause lasted for four years. I haven’t forgotten about my blog, nor have I stopped writing. On the contrary, I wrote and read more than ever before. That’s why I don’t regret my decision back then, becuase I had learned to appreciate every day of my life with both its good and bad moments.

In February 2024, I revisited my WordPress blog with fresh excitement. DailyPrompt was the first thing I spotted, and it felt like a warm welcome back. Since then, I’ve restarted my blogging journey.

I believe my writing style hasn’t changed much, nor has my voice, but my thoughts have. Isn’t that expected? Eight years are not like eight days.

There’s a quote that says: “You won’t find the same person twice, not even in the same person.” This doesn’t necessarily imply to find an entirely different or bad person instead. The idea suggests that change is natural, and a healthy experience that simply needs to be sought out and nurtured.

Do I need to answer the first question in my post, or you, as my assessor, already gets the answer?


With hope and peace,

Nahla







Just writing

The Watching Bird

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I smiled when I saw this gull as I took the photo. Can you see how confident and steady it paused as if it knew about photography and how to master the perfect pose. Perhaps it knows about social media, and dreams of becoming a celebrity among its own kind. That would be totally unbelievable!

As you see in the photo, the sea, the boats, and the clear sky (it was all blue later on) create a beautiful, natural background. But what you can’t see behind my phone camera is the hustle and bustle on the seashore. There were rows of benches lined along the seafront, and people sat there eating, talking, and basking in the sun. We were there too— my daughter and my husband enjoying their ice-cream, and I drinking orange juice. It was just then when I saw that dangerous bird, landing gracefully on that picturesque boat, and watching every soul around just like a hawk watching its prey.

Such greedy birds! Nature provides plenty for them—fish in the sea, worms in the soil, and more hidden beneath the sand. Yet, they are never satisfied. Always looking for the easy catch—human food. Excellent fishers and divers, these birds are professional at snatching and stealing others’ food. They seem to never have their fill—always watching, always wanting. That’s why I call them dangerous.

But they say humans are responsible for these birds’ changing of behaviour. They have spoiled the gulls by feeding them their own food. And that’s also why humans had tried to solve the problem by putting big sings that read: “Don’t feed them.” I saw these signs years ago, but not anymore. However, signs or no signs, the gulls have already adapted to their easy catch meal.

Aren’t there people who behave just like these greedy gulls? Those who have plenty but always set their eyes on what others have, what others eat, wear, and so on. The madness of social media has spread the danger of this phenomenon so badly. If gulls watch out of greed, unfortunately, some humans do the same, plus adding hate and envy.

Ironically, the sign that says: “Don’t feed them” could also apply to us—humans. But would we understand it?  Would we see that we, too, need to stop feeding our bad habits, unhealthy curiosity, and negative feelings toward others. 

Of course, we can—if only we’re willing to.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

It’s Not Important

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Today, I came across a beautiful sentence with a beautiful meaning. It says: It’s not important for people to give you a special place in their hearts, because nowadays, hearts seem too small to embrace everyone. However, it’s enough to receive their respect.

Do you know why I find it beautiful?  Because it’s true.

The fast-changing rhythm of life often fills our hearts with disappointment, hurt,  indifference, selfishness, fear, and other negative emotions. Of course, love, kindness, compassion, and other noble feelings still exist, but they are squeezed and squashed with other negative ones. Therefore, it becomes a great challenge for a newcomer to even try to find a place in such a mess.

On the other hand, respect means making a good impression – one that draws others to remember you and seek your company, advice, or simply your presence. In other words, you win their hearts by treading this different, safer road.

That’s why it’s enough to win others’ respect; after all, that’s another way to win their hearts.

With hope and peace,

Nahla



Just writing

A Cake Without Sugar?

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Don’t be surprised or shocked or both because yes there is a cake without sugar, and I’ve just baked one!

But first, with pure honesty, the cake does have sugar. It’s just not the refined kind, but dates and chocolate, instead. So, perhaps, the more accurate introduction to the product should be A Cake With Natural Sugar. (Mostly dates, and barely any chocolate as my daughter said.)

Does it taste good?
Hmmm, I’m the only one eating it, but it’s okay. I should have added more dates and chocolate, but I assumed I had used enough.

Now, do you really think this post is about cakes?

Actually, I was thinking of creativity when my cake pushed itself into the post.

So, everyone has their own special way of showing and practising their creativity. Have you noticed that while reading daily prompt posts? I have.

We may write about the same topic, use similar terms, share similar feelings, but our products will never be the same because we are different. When you use your own talent, hear your own voice, and add your own touch to whatever creative work you’re doing, you are creating something different.

Isn’t that the essence of creativity?  Its uniqueness, right?

Still, we can be inspired by others’ ideas, drawings, sense of humor, or even by a cake without sugar.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Your Post Title

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Do you think of your post title before or after writing a post?

For me it depends on whether my ideas and thoughts are flowing or stuck inside my head. If they are flowing, I will hurry to write them down and then think about the title. If they are stuck, I’ll take my time thinking about the title until I  know what to write about. Once I fix the title, my thoughts will start flowing into my new piece.

You know that sometimes, I forget all about the title and press “Publish”. But, since I usually check whether my post is published, I quickly notice that most important element of my post – its title –is missing, and I add it. I hope you haven’t noticed that, have you?

But don’t you think that the title of your post or book not only highlights and introduces the idea of your piece, but it is also part of your voice as both a writer and a person? I really find it interesting to think this way because your voice reflects how you feel when you’re talking, and writing is a unique, creative method of talking.  And since, you’re human, you experience different feelings that, willingly or not, will be reflected in your piece. (But, of course, that’s different with the news articles, as their titles, in most cases, have no genuine voice and are issued under authorised policy.)

People say you can’t judge a book only by its cover, right? But may I make a tiny addition and say that you can judge a book by its title because its the first thing you as a reader hear and feel about its writer.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing, story

April and its long-awaited bright days

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As far as I can remember I haven’t known anyone with a birthday in April. The calendar has at least one birthday marked on every month ‐ except April. Not that it makes much of a difference, but the thought just crossed my mind. Perhaps, one of you reading this post is celebrating a birthday this month?

But it’s a beautiful, springy month. When it arrives, it announces the beginning of long days and short nights. What’s more, it relieves us from the long month of March. Have you ever noticed how those thirty-one days of March feel like the slowest in the entire calendar? Perhaps, It’s just me feeling that, but they really crawl at a turtle’s pace.

Have you ever heard about the Nile Bride? In case you haven’t, here’s the story.

Once upon a time and in a special April day, during the Pharaonic era, the Ancient Egyptians decided to offer a maiden bride as a sacrifice bride to the Nile. They believed this act would make the river flow all over the year and bring abundant harvests.

The bride was chosen at a young age. The status of her family was important, and so was her record of medical health. And, of course, she had to learn swimming. After all, it would be a shame, if history said that the Ancient Egyptians who built the great pyramids used to sacrifice a bride who couldn’t swim on the Nile’s alter. Besides, the Nile would expect a beautiful bride not a corpse. Therefore, the Great King would deliver a memorable speech at the ceremony, clearing up  any misconceptions or alterations about the sacred rules that might emerge in the future.

‘The Nile isn’t an artificial lake or a small muddy pond. It is the lifeblood of  Egypt,’ boasts the king. ‘Our Nile deserves the best, and his bride shall be our queen for an entire year.” The king voice reverberates, and the crowd cheers. ‘This gold crown with all its diamonds and holy stones is your dowry, our Nile Bride, our queen.’ The king places tge crown on the bride’s head, offering  her his blessing.

‘And if you don’t survive, our Nile will still be pleased, for the dowry will return to its holy source,’ the king declared, his gaze fixed on the bride. ‘Now you have two wishes; one to be gratnted if you return safe and sound, and one to be fulfilled if you don’t.’

Silence enveloped the entire scene. The crowd stood tall, strong, and mute like granite statues. The birds hid among the trees. The horses grazed here and there, moving as quietly and slowly as old turtles. The only sound that made the scene live was the river’s flow – elegant, smooth, and shimmering.

The bride, in her white Pharaonic dress embroidered with blue, red, oranges, and yellow jewellery across the chest, felt a terrible headache. The crown on her head weighted as if it were ten tons, making it too difficult to think and impossible to make any wishes. She felt the blood in her small head trapped and squeezed inside her veins. For a moment or two, only two wishes lingered in her mind, and were on the tip of her tongue, ready to escape her lips, if she hadn’t sealedthem shut just in time. For the wish she’d make if she survived, she wanted so much to push the king into the river, wearing the same crown to see whether he would make it out alive. And for her wish if she didn’t survive, she prayed the king would have the honour of diving into the sacred river himself to retrieve the holy crown without any blessings, without assistance.

The bride glanced at the king, but his stern, hard gaze warned her that she was running out of time, and he was on the verge of losing his patience. Did he read her mind? She swallowed hard and forced a smile.

”I have no wishes, Your Highness, other than to wish you a prosperous afterlife in the great pyramid,’ she replied and jumped into the river.

The bride survived and the king was buried in the great pyramid.


Of course, this story is purely fictional — I made it all up. You can think of it as one of April Fool’s Day pranks. And, to be more honest, I have no idea if the legend of the Nile Bride is related to the month of April.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

It’s A Beautiful Day!

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Finally the sun graces us with its warm, bright rays. It’s true that weather can affect people’s mood. I believe even animals and plants can also be affected by the changes of weather.

If you ask me ‘how do you feel today’? ‘Happy’, I will say. This is the first thing I felt when I stepped out of the house into this beautiful, warm day. Now, as I am writing this post, I feel blessed too.

What about you? How do you feel today? May I ask you to set aside, for a moment or two, any negative feelings and think of a positive one instead. No need to share it, just feel it.

In case you can’t find any, just look at that clear sky and the happy trees in my picture. They say misery love company, and I believe happiness loves company even more.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Baklawa

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Or baklava? Both are correct – the first is in Arabic, and the second in Turkish.

You can buy it from the shops or restaurants, or make it at home. I love to make it. It’s the simplest recipe ever: puff pastry sheets, ground nuts, butter, and syrup. There are millions of videos on YouTube for this simple dessert.

Baklawa is most famous and enjoyed during the month of fasting; Ramadan – our very special, once – a -year guest.

Are your mouth watering  already? Mine is.

Sometimes, you might think, like me, that you can transform your traditional dessert recipe into a healthier one. Here’s my experiment with baklawa last year, and my baklawa this year.

Last Ramadan, I decided to cut all fine sugar and use honey, dates, or fruits in all desserts, including baklawa. It wasn’t because I was on a diet or had any medical issues, but because I want to eat healthily. So, the only change I made to baklawa was to replace the sugar with honey. But honey is thick and has a different taste, yet I insisted on using it.


“Where is the sugar, mama?”
“Why does it taste weird?”
“Is there any other dessert?”

My family compalined, obviously didn’t like it, and neither did I. It wasn’t making your mouth-water but rather make it shut and dry.

Therefore, for this Ramadan, I’m making it the normal way with homemade sugar syrup. Now, that’s the mouth-watering baklawa with layers of pastry sheets full of ground pistachios, walnuts, and almond. On top of each crispy piece, the shiny syrup spreads smoothly and penterates deeply into each layer. One bite of baklawa with its dripping syrup would make it ready to fast for the whole year!

Have you tried fasting before? I’m just wondering how you feel about it?

With all the best wishes,

Nahla