Tag: blogging

daily prompt

Let’s play with the word

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What is your mission?

I read recently that the word ‘impossible’ can be also read as I’m possible.

What about the word ‘mission’? Can we play a bit with it in a different way?

I don’t know about you, but I think the word itself sounds so formal, complicated, and too rigid and narcissistic to relate to everyone.

Certainly, when you say ‘I have a mission’, or ‘I am on a mission,’  you are already announcing to yourself, first and foremost, that you have set your mind on doing a specific target, reaching a ceratin goal, and gaining a certain reward. “Mission fulfilled,” you would burst with pride when it’s all done. Unfortunately, in this formal, complicated context, you might have to say: “Mission failed,” with a broken heart, and full of despair.

Therefore, why not simplify the word ‘mission’ to a  plan, a task, or even a dream? At least with its simplified version, you might feel less pressured, less stressed, and less burdened. Some priorities might surface along your mission, requiring you to consider some humane appeals, some sensible decisions, and some simple needs. These changes and possibilities might let you open the door to making adjustments, diversions, or even finding peace.

On a mission, you can turn a deaf ear to your conscience and avoid seeking other possibilities. But when think of it as plan, a task, or better yet, a dream, you can listen to your heart, and see the possible in the impossible.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Blue and Sky

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What are your thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?


I have two cute parakeets for about three years now. Their story at my house started when my son’s colleague asked him if I could take care of her bird while she was away for a week. Of course I welcomed the tiny creature. Since it wasn’t mine, I never let him out of the cage but it was a torture watching him inside. Though, I liked him, I also couldn’t wait until he would go back to his friend. His short stay visits became frequent, and one day my son wondered if I would like to keep him for ever. Of course, I agreed, but I asked him to get a companion for my little friend. He did, and since then we have two: Blue and Sky.

‘How long do you expect birds would live?’ My son usually asks, teasing me.
‘Why does that matter? Today, they are alive, chirping, fighting, playing, eating, and flying around.’ I answered, making a face at him.

Do you think birds care about how long they are going to live? I don’t think so. But they do, of course, care about their life and take good care of it.

There is a common saying in Arabic:  “The soul is so precious.”

Every breath counts, every day counts, and every moment counts.

That’s my concept of a very long life.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Please stop it!

nhpureandsimple


I don’t know whether it’s a new phenomenon or if it has always been there and I am just recently noticing it.

Have you ever been on a bus where all of a sudden one of the passengers decides to either answer or make a phone call ? They would talk as though they are at home, as if there is nobody else around, as if they have all the right to disturb others’ peace of mind. Still, that isn’t the main the problem The main issue is swearing, those F words slip off their tongues so easily, so nonchalantly.

You get off the bus, and inhale a deep, fresh, clean air, thanking the Lord that the ride was over. After walking a few steps, you find some children and teenagers, joking, laughing, and repeating that infamous swearing word.

Finally, you get into your house, and close your door, lean against it, and close your eyes. You try your best to forget about that phenomenon. You make a cup of tea, sit at your dinning table, and open your phone to check your email and scan your media accounts. And, there, the post you decide to read, is just another adaptation of a phenomenon that not only disturbs and annoys others, but also degrades the beauty and value of the work.

It’s just at that moment you realise that even if it’s non of your business to change others’ code of behaviour, at least you can try with just a piece of writing.

Please stop it!

With all the best wishes,

Nahla









Just writing

The Idiot

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“There are two kinds of idiots: those who don’t take actions because they have received a threat, and those who think they are taking actions because they have issued a threat.”

Have you ever come across this quote? Do you think it should be taught as a life skill lesson in school and universities?

But isn’t Life the greatest teacher of all?

We all learn this lesson in our lives, though, of course, at different levels.

We call others idiots, but if we take just a quick look at ourselves (not in the mirror but in our minds), we’ll find that we’ve been one at some point.

Have you read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier? If you have, you might share my opinion that It’s a story full of idiots,  though at some point you couldn’t help recollecting some memories that make you just as one.

By the way the above mentioned quote is not from Rebecca. I couldn’t remember the source right now. But, herewith my review and my favourite quote from the book:

/https://nh825.wordpress.com/2025/01/06/rebecca/

“… kindness, and sincerity, and – if I may say so – modesty are worth far more to a man, to a husband, than all the wit and beauty in the world.”

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

Creativity

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How are you creative?

When you use your own voice, your own hands, and your own brain, that what creativity is. Think, imagine, and be you with your own unique signature. That’s creativity.

Does creativity imply perfection? A big WOW? A high rating? I’ll say no, but that’s how I see it.

Creativity might need support, education, and knowledge, but what it needs most is genuineness. And of course, you don’t have to be a celebrity to be creative.

To clarify my point, let’s say I read your post and find it interesting and good, with countless likes and comments, and then I decided to write a similar piece. By the way that’s different from inspiration becuase when we are inspired, we still use our own brains. So, If I follow your style, words, and thoughts, my post will never be creative becuase it wasn’t me writing it ‐ I’m mainly replicating yours. But, that’s not so bad, we are not supposed to be creative everyday, right? Still, there will be a strange feeling, an annoying thought, that will pop into your head every now and then when you remember this post.

We might share the same cake, but it would be more delicious when I put my heart into it.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla











daily prompt

Such a gift!

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Share what you know about the year you were born.

Life is such a wonderful gift, regardless of the year,  month, or day of our births.We have nothing to do with our birth place or time, but we have coutless things to appreciate about this divine gift.

What difference does it make if you were born in a special year when a war ended or started? Or when the first spaceship landed on the moon? Or when Romeo and Juliate died? The only thing that truly makes a difference is that you have been gifted with a life to live with all its ups and downs. You have been gifted with a life to sacredize its privicy, its authenticity, and its temporarity.

Have you been grateful to the One created you, gifted you with the most precious gift in your entire life: your Life?

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Just writing

Confession

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As I was reading my book last night, a sentence of my last blog kept nagging at me that I thought I was going to dream about it. But, it inspired me to write today’s blog.

In my last blog, The quiet, shy girl, I said I had never failed. Well, that wasn’t completely a lie, and it did’t awfully prick my conscience. After all, as long as the issue doesn’t involve anyone else, so it’s between God and me, and I prayed for forgiveness. Besides, I was mainly talking about my academic education which as far as I can remember was the truth.

But, of course, Life doesn’t go perfect all the time. Even the genius makes mistakes. We are the offsprings of Adam and Eve; humans with blood, flesh, and emotions. Therefore, we are not perfect, we are not robots. Sometimes, we will get a first-time Pass, and other times we’ll get it on the second or fifth attempt. Or, we’ll change direction and achieve it somewhere, sometime else.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

daily prompt

The quiet, shy girl

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Have you ever performed on stage or given a speech?

“Are you still quiet and shy as you used to be in university?” A friend asked me one day when we found each other on facebook.
“I think I’ve changed, a bit.” I replied.

It seems like something I was born with. I am the youngest of my two siblings. My father used to take me everywhere. My relatives used to invite me for sleepovers which would extend for weeks. At school, my marks were always good. I never failed. In university, for my converstation exams, my responses were the briefest in class, but my marks were just as good. Still, I was that quiet, shy girl.

I married, moved and studied abroad, and now have three children; two graduate boys and a girl in her first year of high school. Still, I am that quiet, shy girl.

Therefore, going on stage for a speech or performance would be my nightmare. Of course I lived these moments as I had to do them sometimes at school or university. But even though with all my rehearsals and prayers, I couldn’t help my hands from trembling and my heart from pounding.

I always remember my graduation ceremony, it was such a funny, great day. My friends and I were full of the life of spring, shining in beautiful dresses, lining up in a long queue with many others of the same group. We couldn’t wait to step on stage to receive our B.A. certificates and shake hands with Her Honour, our smiley-faced dean. It went so well with all my friends: climbing the steps, shaking hands, turing for the memorable photo, and then climbing down the few steps and joining our families. Just that simple.

But, things went slightly different for the quiet, shy girl. I tripped over my long dress as climbed the steps, but thank God I straightened and steadied my legs, and didn’t fall down. I tried to forget and calm down, but then my graduation cap slipped down my hijab. Before it could fall, I grasped it and tried to put it back on my head, but it would not stay there. There was no time, Her Honour was already extending her hand with a genuine, warm smile. I believe she didn’t give others the same one. With one hand grasping my cap over my head,  I shook her hand and receive my certificate. Then I hurried down the steps, and forgot to take that memorable photo with the certificate and the smile.

But I took other photos and laughed long and hard that day. Sometimes, the quiet, shy girl can be more special and fun than the others.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

Books, Just writing

Idolization

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Just look at how people follow a special player, or jump on stage to hug that famous singer, or run after a remarkable actor to take a selfie. And look at those who bow, kneel, and even kiss the ground that this leader or that walks on. This idolization has been the same throughout the ages, it’s obviously disgusting these days because of the social media madness.

Have you ever thought how those idols throughout the ages take but, never give? They don’t know you, won’t care about you. Whether in the form af a celebrity, a leader, or a political party, they want you, as a number, as a voice. They stand high and long, here and there, just like statues. Their strength and durability depend on the expertise of their craftsmenship. But, they never live becuase statues are soulless, vague, and empty. And, one day, they would be dumped, forgotten, and replaced by other statues.

I remember one day while watching a documentary about a famous Egyptian singer from the seventies, there were women throwing themselves out of the top windows of high buildings. Were they really happy following him into the grave? I wondered, thinking how those people will one day answer to God for commiting suicide. This is completely blind idolization, which I believe is so destructive, so humiliated, so pathetic.

On another occasion, when I first came to live in the UK, I met different people. My first friend and neighbour was following the Shia Mathhab. By the way, we didn’t introduce ourselves as Shia and Sunni. These differences just seemed to be obvious. Well, as my friend and I used to visit each other quite a lot, I noticed that there are certain things that she was celebrating and practising which I wasn’t. I asked her about that and she simply replied, ‘I swear I don’t  care about this Imama or that, I just do what my mother does.’ We burst out laughing. How simple and funny our life would be, if we don’t idolize our differences!

Children, of course, might idolize their parents, or students idolise their noble mentors but that’s out of pure love and ultimate reverence, because they deserve it. These people in our lives are the ones who really care and love us.They can not be replaced, can not purchased.

By the way I have just finished The Stationary Shop Of Tehran. It’s a good book, I enjoyed it, enjoyed more reading about Persian Culture and traditions which are a bit different from my Arabic ones. Herewith is my book review, hope you will like it.

The Stationary Shop of Tehran

With all the best wishes,

Nahla

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Just writing

Reading Challenge

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It’s almost the end of the year, and I am running our of time to finish the 50 books I had planned to read this year. Actually it’s not that bad, I  read 47 books so far. By the way it’s thanks to my WordPress friend Arlene for starting this experience in the first place. I can’t remember exactly when I did, but I was inspired by her reading challenge experience.

Before the coffee gets Cold, is the most recent book I have finished, and here’s my book review for it.

https://nh825.wordpress.com/2024/12/05/before-the-coffee-gets-cold/

Please have a look. Hope you’ll like both the book and my review.

With all the best wishes,

Nahla