Release.
Accept.
Live.
And—
Don’t stare long into the mirror,
into the past,
into the dark.
or …
into your fear.
What is missed is missed.
Embrace the change.
And focus on the present.
The road ahead might have more surprises,
than what’s been left behind.
Long story short;
Steer your life as safely as you steer the wheel of your car.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
“I wondered whether the life that was right for one was ever right for two!”
That’s a quote from My Antonia, which I’ve just finished reading.
Isn’t it true?
It is.
Some people, for example, choose a simple life, feeling happier and more secure in small cities. But, others prefer the busy life in big cities where there are more people, more opportunities, and more entertainment.
Can these two groups swap places?
Maybe.
But things depend on the urge and the necessity behind the change. In other words, change happens for a reason. You don’t just wake up in the morning and decide to leave your house and move to the mountains… or do you?
Now imagine how destiny might bring together two people with different life preferences. What do you think their life would be?
In the story, Antonia’s parents have this acute different preferences, not just about places but about many things. Her father left their homeland, taking his wife and four children to the new land. If it hadn’t been for his nagging wife, he might have never left, would’t have never sold the precious and the worthless to embark on this journey. He couldn’t adapt to prairie life, and his wife never stopped complaining. Then, one day he took his own life. (Oh, the poor man he might have shot himself twice, especially now, when laws are changing.)
But Antonia managed to find a balance, and to help her city -loving husband adapt to prairie life though not quite as much as she did, but enough. And, at least, he never reached the desperate limits her father had.
Now can the life that was right for one ever be right for two?
Yes.
When there’s love, understanding, and a sense of belonging everything becomes possible.
By the way My Antonia is just about Antonia.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
What traditions have you not kept that your parents had?
I was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, following a traditional meals routine. I still remember the mouthwatering flavours, the warm gatherings, and the funny moments. But, I no longer follow that routine—not because I don’t want or because I can’t. It’s simply because it just slipped out of my days as the years went on and on.
So, back then in Egypt, we used to have three meals a day: breakfast, dinner, and supper. But, of course, there were lots of snacks and desserts in between. Not to mention the roasted peanuts and pumpkin seeds during those long summer nights—whether out in the balcony or inside as we gathered around the television.
Our breakfast and supper were usually light and simple: tea, milk, and a cheese or jam sandwich made with fresh bread straight from the bakery.
Breakfast usually started early, around six or seven in the morning, since everything else began early too. We’d eat in a hurry so we wouldn’t be late for school, university, or work. Then, we had another full breakfast around ten during the mid-morning recess. Supper was usually by eight or nine at night.
Dinner was the main meal with traditional Egyptian dishes. We always had it by half past three when the whole family was home—father back from work and children from school. Back then, my family never dined out or ordered in. But of course, we did have dinners with relatives and friends — especially during the holidays.
When I moved with my husband to the UK, that traditional routine changed, not immediately, but gradually. So, instead of the two breakfasts, we have just one. Then we were introduced to lunch at noon, followed by the late afternoon dinner that kicked out supper from our routine. Still, we remained faithful to having snacks and desserts in between.
Now, food is another story in my break from the traditional meal routine— please understand that was entirely unintentional. It began with cornflakes and toast, which (thanks to my children) became part and parcel of our daily life, just as essential as water and air. Praise the Lord, they no longer crave any.
I love cooking and baking—and, of course, I love Egyptian food. But… though our dinners are usually home –made, we dine out every now and then. Besides, our traditional food is not one hundred percent traditional. Perhaps because the food and flavours are not the same. But, that’s also because I’ve started creating new meals, following my own simple recipes.
Thank God, my food, in most cases, turns out delicious, and my family devours it all.
When it comes to food, there’s some sort of flexibility to change your traditional routine.
Am I right?
I think I am.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
They say whoever invented the window was either a thief or a lover.
What do you think?
Isn’t it facinating to imagine the story behind the invention of windows for houses? A story not related to construction or decoration, but to a person who, once upon a time, was dreaming—seeking something or someone.
Would you like to hear his story? Just keep reading.
Once upon a time, a thief sneaked into an old merchant’s house. He grabbed every piece of gold and silver from each room. The treasure was not much, but enough. As he turned and grasped the handle of the big metal door, he discovered, to his shock and misfortune, that the door was locked—utterly locked—as if it were a secret, magical guradian of the house
The thief knew the merchant was on a short trip to bring his family back home. But, perhaps, someone would come and check on the house, he thought, glancing around, trying to find a way out.
He noticed deep cracks and dampness spreading across the walls. He drew near to the wall next to the door, and pressed his hand against it—it was mushy, like wet mud. The thief laughed, relieved to find his excape. Without hesitation or much toil, he broke a hole in the wall and jumped out of the old house.
He raced against the wind under the starless sky, heading toward the dark woods where no other human dared to live. Panting, he reached a gigantic tree—his camouflage home. He dug a deep hole and hid the treasure beneath it. Breathless and sweating, he threw his weight onto the hard earth and fell asleep for the rest of the night.
With the first light of dawn, as the birds chirped and left their nests, the thief jumped to his feet and hurried to the nearest pond. He washed and put on a clean garment. Laughing, he picked some berries from the trees, devoured them, and headed back to the city. From now on, he would live a new life as an honourable man.
The market was buzzing with one story—the robbery of the merchant’s house. The thief drew closer to a group of men and introduced himself as another victim of the same thief.
‘But I can fix the wall. I am a builder, and I need money to go back to my city.’ He had woven a good story, hadn’the?
The men took him to the old merchant, who—without a second thought, agreed to the poor builder’s deal.
Over the following days, the thief transformed the hole in the wall into a beautiful, wooden window. The merchant’s oldest daughter loved the new creation and often sneaked behind it to catch a glimpse of the builder as he made windows for other houses.
The builder became well-acquainted with most of the people in the city. His window-making business flourished, and he earned a lot of money. He was aware of the merchant’s daughter’s long waits behind the window, watching him working around. He also knew of her father’s abundant wealth. The girl was beautiful—so beautiful— but he had robbed her father. What if the merchant discovered the truth one day? He fell asleep with that thought echoing in his ears.
That night, he had a dream—a strange dream.
He was in a different land, among different people, surrounded by beautiful houses with so many windows. As he walked along, he heard people talking about the two lovers who had just died. Curious, he moved closer to two men sitting on a bench by a fountain in the middle of the road. They didn’t seem to notice him. Was he invisible? A ghost? His heart pounded hard in his chest as he dropped onto the other end of the bench.
‘Romeo killed himself, and Juliet followed suit. Or was it the other way round? One of the two men broke the news. The other gasped, and the thief felt his heart in his throat.
‘I used to see them every day, laughing and singing to each other. She shone like a blooming rose in the big window, and he stood below in the garden, full of pride, crowing day and night like a young rooster.’ The first man said, the other sighed, and the thief nearly fainted.
‘But of course, her father would’ve never let her marry one of his family’s enemies— someone who was only after his wealth and money,’ the first man explained, the second nodded, and the thief died
‘Oh no, oh no, I don’t want to marry her,’ the thief screamed and woke up.
The next day, he packed, thanked his host, dug up his treasure, and fled for his life.
Years later, the wise said that true love comes from front doors, not windows. If only those wise ones had known more, they would have added and neither does it come from social media!
Did you like my story? Try and write yours!
With hope and peace,
Nahla
Describe one positive change you have made in your life.
Throughout our life, change is both a must and a need. We have to change and we feel the change. A child has to grow into an adult though some can still have the innocence and transparency of a child’s spirit. We also need to embrace the change, whatever that change may be, e.g, our way of thinking, our clothing style, our daily routine, etc. C’est la vie.
Unfortunately, the changes we go through can be both positive and negative. Let’s put aside the negative changes for today and focus on the positive ones.
While walking with my children, when they were young, I used to tell them not to turn back. ‘You are supposed to watch for things before you because you are going ahead, and sometimes turning back result in harm and unneeded distraction.’ Over the years, I have been trying my best to adopt this strategy not only while walking but along my life journey . Never look back, never regret things that I couldn’t have or achieve. That’s one of the positive changes I have made in my life.
Look ahead and let bygones be bygones.
With all the best wishes,
Nahla
Pure and Simple 