Category: Just writing

Just writing

The Moon

nhpureandsimple

It seems that January and I are going to play a special game this year.

Yesterday he sent his first greeting, enclosed in snow.

Today he wishes us good night through the full moon.

And what a lovely good night it is! 

I was just going to lock the window when that full, luminous creature showed up in the faraway sky. 

He pushed the dark clouds aside the very moment I was about to draw the curtains.

No words can describe either his beauty or my happiness.

It was a surprise.

A wonderful surprise!

The moon is there in the sky every night. 

Sometimes he hides.

Sometimes he tires.

And sometimes he sleeps.

But… how often do we notice it? 

How often do we pause to feel its light? 

How often do we appreciate its beauty? 

Do you know that in olden times, people were inspired by the moon?

It was a symbol of hope, dreams, and mystery.

But… doesn’t this make sense? 

Every great aspiration dreams higher and higher,

and every “higher” is there, up there in the sky.

Why don’t we just gaze up and contemplate?

With moony thoughts, 

Nahla

Just writing

The First Snow

nhpureandsimple

This was the first greeting on the second of January.

The first snow had landed, safe and sound.

Today painted a wintery image;

with heavy coats, beanies, and gloves;

footprints,

long traffic queues,

and hustle and bustle everywhere.

“It’s snowing!”

I heard everyone scream… figuratively. 

It was fun.

I heard them laughing too. Well … that was actually my daughter and me.

An hour later,

The sun shone on and threw its golden threads across the snow.

The snow glared, and its thin layer began to melt.

Alarmed, the fluffy clouds fled for their lives,

towards a different destination… perhaps yours.

And then… there was no way to make a snowman.

But… maybe January has better surprises than just a snowman.

With snowy thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

So… how was your first morning in 2026? 

nhpureandsimple

Quiet.

Really quiet. 

It seems even the birds decided to wake up late or maybe take the day off, just as humans do on the first of January. 

There was no transport noise.

No people walking around.

Surprisingly, it was sunny,

but it was also bitterly cold.

I looked out of the window and inhaled all that pure quietness.

No picture can capture the beauty of a quiet, fresh morning the way your own eyes do.

January, the most hopeful month, has just arrived and opened its doors with new hopes and dreams.

How can people trade the first morning of January for the last night of December? 

I have no idea!

I wondered for a moment, then hurried off to make breakfast. 

With quiet thoughts,

Nahla

Just writing

With hope and peace

nhpureandsimple

Over 2025, I often ended my posts with ”with hope and peace.”  

Did you notice that?

Actually, I am not sure if it started at the beginning or somewhere halfway through. It just slipped there one day at the end of a post, and I stayed with it.

It was a desperate attempt to support innocent people who have suffered and are still suffering all over the world, simply to live a safe and decent life.

Perhaps… you can think of it as a whispered prayer— one you, as a reader, might feel and answer by whispering back ”Amen.”

Do you believe in the power of the prayers?

I do.

May the new year be full of hope and peace!

Amen.

And… 

With a new beginning,

Nahla

Just writing

Is It Already the End of 2025?

nhpureandsimple

It feels like only yesterday that 2025 began.

But isn’t this life? 

Everything moves on.

Good and bad moments go on.

And here we are again, thinking about new resolutions for the new year.

Honestly, I can’t even remember the ones I planned last year. 

They seem to evaporate into thin air the moment I say them.

But… this doesn’t really matter.

I’ve achieved what I could achieve.

And I’ll always think of new ones.

Anyway… 

It’s wonderful to have plans, and even better to follow and achieve them. 

But… isn’t it a good idea to add some flexibility to this long list of goals?

A few possibilities,

And perhaps a few… changes

They say the straight line gives the shortest distance.

But we can never know what we will experience along the way, can we?

Unexpected things might happen.

And sometimes the unexpected is far better than the expected, for at least this unexpected is out of our control.

So… yes 2025 is almost done, but 2026 will be knocking on the door soon.

Bringing new dreams, new plans, and new surprises.

But, isn’t a new year just like a new day? 

Both pass in a blink of an eye.

And at the end of each, we usually look back and see how much we’ve achieved out of our list of plans?

But what about the things that never make it onto the list; those things we try our best to maintain and protect?

Things like our peace of mind, our sanity, our health, our safety, our resilience, … 

Or what about the things that we attain without buying, without forcing, without acting?

Things like love, respect, and loyalty. 

Aren’t these things far more precious than the goals we write down on our lists? 

By the end of any long day, some people have a good night sleep, while others can’t even close their eyes to sleep.

So… wouldn’t it be better to appreciate what can be lived, rather than what can be simply written on a list? 

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Some doors…

nhpureandsimple

They say: some doors will open to you because of your prayers, some because of your kindness, and some because of your faithful heart.

And may I add, … and some doors open simply because of your resilience. 

And you know what? These doors open wide with a genuine welcome. They spill light. They smell of flowers. And they are full of hope.

These doors can’t be mistaken for dark doors. For there are dark doors too, but they open only a crack. They are pitch-black. They smell of stagnant water. And, they are full of troubles.

But we always have a choice: which one to be, which path to tread, and which doors to knock on.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

daily prompt, Just writing

Five Common Examples

nhpureandsimple

Share five things you’re good at.

These can be your hobbies, I guess. Because we are usually good at things we enjoy. Right? But we can also be bad at things we like. Now let me explain with five common examples:

Cooking. Nothing is better than homemade food— I totally agree. I love cooking and baking, but the outcome isn’t always consistent. Sometimes I receive a surprising Wow, and other times, I get something like, ‘ have you changed something?’ Which, by the way, doesn’t mean food was awful but… not as nice.

Walking. Such a simple exercise that costs nothing! I enjoy it, but my consistency is around average. In summer, it can go above average, but in winter, with its strong gusts and heavy showers, exercising feels cosier indoors.

Listening. They say listening is a life skill. Well.. that depends of course on concentration. I enjoy it, but sometimes, the mind can’t help wandering into a book, a phone call, or even an old memory. And, in the end, it all depends on the narrative, and on the narrator.

Imagination. I suppose most readers and writers are good at imagination. Otherwise, they wouldn’t enjoy either. But, it’s important to draw a line between reality and imagination. For example, the first man who imagined the possibility of flying was so brave and clever, yet his imagination wasn’t enough for a successful trial. Unfortunately he didn’t survive.

Learning. Nowadays with all this technology and so many resources, learning is available to almost everyone. One has just to know the right option and the direction to follow. I have mine, which goes well with my own rythm and preferences.

Well… even if one is good at something, it doesn’t mean they are perfect. But, at least one should try.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Reading Challenge: From Plan to Result

nhpureandsimple

I haven’t finished it yet, and I have only myself to blame. 

Do you know why? 

Imagine you decide to join a marathon even though you know you’re more of a walker. You’re not slow, but you simply like to take your time, enjoying the scenery and your surroundings. 

So I began my 2025 reading marathon with a plan to finish 60 books.

Of course, at the start line, I was full of enthusiasm, energy, and dedication, but things always happen.

A few months later, the target began to feel unrealistic, especially as doubt started whispering logic into my head, equipped with sensible calculations and reasons. 

I dropped my challenge to 50 books, and slowed down running.

Halfway through the year, a few complicated books challenged my target, and made me feel as if I were running up a steep hill. And don’t forget, I’m not really a runner. So, I changed to jogging instead, and dropped my challenge to 40 books.

Now, it’s almost the end of the year, and I have no plan to drop the number again.

My score is so far 33 books.

If I make it, I make it.

If not, I’ll make a sensible plan for 2026.

At least that’s what inspired me to write this post.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

P.S.S

Please don’t be disappointed or discouraged by this post. I hope as much that you will read it as I hope you will fulfil your own reading challenge target. 

Just writing

All together, All at Once

nhpureandsimple

Today is a typical English weather day.

It’s windy, really windy, with gusts about 45mph.

And it’s sunny and warm. You could say… it is neither warm nor cold.

And it’s cloudy, and what beautiful clouds we have today; grey, white, and golden yellow. A stunning portrait of natural beauty!

And it will be rainy ( a bit later.) Still let’s imagine it; drizzles then light then heavy showers.

And it’s a busy morning: wind rustling, birds soaring and singing, trees swishing, cars racing, buses braking, children hollering, road workers drilling, and aeroplanes whooshing through the sky. What a real, live soundtrack!  

Won’t this beauty make you happy, make you alive, make you feel blessed?

How many times do we have this beauty all together, all at once?

Sometimes all we need to do is to set aside whatever we’re doing, stand by the window, and simply look around.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Pride Comes Before The Fall

nhpureandsimple

Do you believe in this moral?

I hope you will keep reading, even if you don’t.

But, I do.

Do you know why?

Here’s why…

Because pompous people are too blind to see anything and anyone but themselves.

They walk the darkest roads, convinced they are the light.

They build vast empire, believing they will last forever, into infinity.

They accumulate wealth and make fortunes, believing that they will never taste need or misery.

They look down on others, convinced that they are the superior, the supreme.

And they hate truth, evade it, and believe they are right even though they know they are wrong.

But…

Dark roads are dangerous, full of humps, holes, and perhaps even a massive trench. And fake light doesn’t give good light. Fake light doesn’t guide. Fake light doesn’t last.

That’s a pompous fall.

Empires may be vast in shape, in power, in wealth. But, before these empires, there were other great empires. All becomes history, and history teaches us we that the greatest empires can vanish in the blink of an eye.

Another pompous fall.

Do wealth and fortune guarantee true happiness or only the hollow repetition of the name without living its meaning? The pompous crave genuine happiness, dream of it, but what they grab is nothing more than the word itself.

Another fall.

Doesn’t it happen that the very ones the pompous looks down on, may one day become their keepers, their leaders, and perhaps even their partners? The tables turn.

Another fall.

Truth is objective, but the pompous makes it subjective.  They miscalculate, misuse, and misjudge, intentionally. Then, instead of admitting their mistake, they raise their heads high, puff their chests, and announce that anything is possible. So, 2+2 can be five, or even ten if they think so. But, truth walks its own path, and survives. 

Another fall.

And there can be more falls. 

If there were no such pride, there would not be so many falls.

Got it!

Now, do you believe in the moral?

With hope and peace,

Nahla