Tag: Family

Just writing

Should I take such umbrage in this situation?

nhpureandsimple

Well… sometimes you just don’t know how or why people behave this way or that? And honestly, in this situation, it’s better not to make a big deal of it.

So, today my daughter and I took the bus home. It wasn’t busy, but it was so warm inside the bus. All the windows were locked, and most people seemed to have a bad cold.

Isn’t it normal to open the window where you sit?

I think it is, especially if you feel like sitting in a sauna.

So, I consulted my neighbour, who was my daughter, and she said, “yes please mama.”

I stood, stretched to reach it, and finally pulled it open. Sometimes you just wonder why they design the windows that high… but perhaps it’s for some safety reasons.

Anyway, how refreshing it was to feel the cool air above your head, and to smell the scent of the fresh rain instead of the thick, condensed air inside the bus.

Just a few minutes later, and as my daughter and I were talking, and out of nowhere, I heard a woman’s voice nearby, not asking or even suggesting that the window be closed but saying she was closing it. In a flash, she pushed it shut, and just like a ghost disappeared.

For a second, my daughter and I looked at each other, wondering why she closed the window. She wasn’t the one sitting next to it, and since the seats in front and behind us were empty, there was no way she would be affected by it.

As our journey wasn’t taking long, I didn’t make a fuss. I told my daughter, “Perhaps she was sensitive to the fresh, cold air.” We smiled, and continued our conversation, and soon got out into the real fresh air.

Should I have taken umbrage at such behaviour?

I think… I did better by ignoring her and her action completely.

What do you think?

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

Rain and Sun 

nhpureandsimple

Today, an hour ago, as I was reading by the window, I glanced at the blue sky. Its beautiful blue invites everyone to gaze into it and forget everything else. 

Beautiful, I whispered, and my eyes moved back to my reading. But then, the sun shone into them. I tried to evade its brightness, but couldn’t. It was warm, and we had missed it over the last few days. 

So I remained where I was, enjoying its warmth while continuing to read.

Then, all of a sudden, I heard rain, beating rain, big raindrops falling somewhere. 

I glanced out the window; no rain. But, I did hear rain.

I moved to another window, and just then it was pouring, generously pouring. 

The sun was shining and smiling, happy to watch the rain, just like me.

Oh my… the poor people were running along the streets. It’s been a bit chilly here, but some still think it’s not time for coats. They were running, trying to find any shelter. The trees gave them another cold shower, and the sun began playing her favourite game of hide and seek. 

And I smiled. 

Then the rain stopped, and the sun was still playing.

Oh my…  I remembered the laundry. It wasn’t outdoors, but I wondered whether to take it out or not risk it for my friend still playing hide and seek. 

Better not.

But I hate dryers.

I think I’ll give it a try.

That’s how rain and sun can change your day—from weather to whether.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

Just writing

All Sorts of Weather

nhpureandsimple

September is a dear, special visitor who brings all sorts of weather in a beautiful gift box. And come rain or shine, its visit is always welcome, always endearing.

Today, for example, is windy, sunny, and a bit chilly, with refreshing drizzles expected later on. But no one huffs or puffs. No one is lazy. No one hides. Why? Because it’s September, bringing gentle vibes at the dawn of autumn.

Do you know what the big dilemma in September is?

It’s something we set aside during summer and bring out in winter!

Can you guess?

I think you got it right.

It’s the coat.

Shall I put it on?
No, it’s warm.
Yes, it’s grey and humid.
No need, I’ll be back before it starts pouring.
But it’s already pouring.
This coat is useless.
This one is too heavy.
Grab it.
Leave it.
Why did I take it?
I should have taken it.

This becomes a significant part of my family daily conversation before stepping out of the house throughout September.

But, doesn’t it add a bit of change and fun?

At least, you have the option and the full responsibility for all its consequences.



With hope and peace,

Nahla

daily prompt

The Nearest, the Furthest

nhpureandsimple

Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

Back then in Egypt, many years ago, when I was just a child, my family used to take two different holidays during the summer. Of course, none of them were abroad; that wasn’t even in my dreams.

The first trip was always to visit my grandparents and relatives in one of the most beautiful cities in Upper Egypt. The train journey took about six long hours. By long, I mean really long, not like nowadays, when time slips through our fingers like water. Still, I enjoyed every bit of it.

Our journey didn’t end with those six hours for my grandparents were living in a small village about a two- hour drive from the city. Sometimes we stayed in the city for a few days to visit relatives, but then we’d head straight to that small, simple village where my grandparents waited for us in their big, old house. We usually stayed there for around two months, but of course, after the first week, my father would take the train back to Cairo for he couldn’t be off work for that long .

Our second long trip was always to one of the quietest and furthest seaside cities on the western coast of Egypt. We always headed there around the first of September, when the weather used to cool down a bit at that time of the year. We stayed for only one week, since school started by the middle of the month.

We travelled there by coach and always with a group of family friends from Cairo. The journey was just as long as our train ride to the south. Excited about the sea waves, colourful shells, and building sand castles, I always looked forward to this holiday, and I never minded the distance.

Strange how, many years later, when my husband and I took our first flight to England, we thought we’d be too far from home. But in the end, that journey turned out to be actually the closest of all.

Things depend on how you feel about a place. The furthest can be the nearest. The furthest can be the most exciting, the most unexpected. And sometimes, the furthest can be home too.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

holidays

Simple Fun on a Long Walk

nhpureandsimple


It seemed like a breezy afternoon with mild sunshine, a few fluffy clouds floating in the blue sky, and a gentle wind playing with the trees. Isn’t that the perfect time for a nice walk? That was my suggestion, which my husband approved, and my thirteen-year-old daughter surrendered to with a long sigh.

In a few minutes, we were walking down a long hill, for that was the plan to walk all the way to the end and then climb back up to our house. I was hoping I could bribe my family to stretch the walk a bit further, but I changed my mind, and that wasn’t because it started raining.

A few minutes after we stepped out onto the long road, the sun turned blazing, the clouds evaporated, and the wind changed direction as if heading towards a different destination.

As we walked, we realised that we were almost the only ones on the road at that hour.  Oh my… even the birds had disappeared. The number of cars and buses passing by was countable. We couldn’t help but laugh until it struck us that it was time to climb back up the same long road. That’s when the real challenge began.

The merciless sun turned straight into our faces as if blaming us for choosing the wrong time for a walk. And one can’t easily evade the English sun. So we kept walking: my daughter dreamed of ice cream, my husband of a long nap, and I of sunceam as my face was already burning.

Halfway along the walk, we discovered a simple joy as some dry tree leaves joined us on the road. Their crunch beneath our shoes lifted my daughter’s mood, and she began searching for the driest leaves with the crunchiest sound. I found the idea both fun and soothing, so I joined her. Surprisingly, we attracted the attention of some hibernating neighbours who stepped out, curious to see what was happening.

Finally, we were home. I was pleased we had made it, my husband was already thinking about a second round later on, and my daughter felt sorry for my sunburn.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

P.S.

It seems the rain heard of our dilemma and decided to grace us in abundance!







Just writing

The Noble Prince

nhpureandsimple

Have you ever passed by such a beautiful robin?

He was standing just like that— perched on the back of the rusty bench while my daughter and I were walking in the park. She saw him first and whispered to me, “Look, Mama, look at that robin.”


“Oh, so cute,” I whispered back, and we both froze on the spot— wondering whether to move closer or walk away.

We quietly moved closer, and—surprisingly— the noble prince remained on his throne. Whether it was humility or pride— he stayed silent, his tiny eyes seemed to watch us.

How I wished he would sing— something, anything. But he seemed to have no song. Still, we couldn’t blame him; it was such a grey, humid, and hot day.

At least we were honoured to capture a photo of the park’s noble prince.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

memories

To Panic is To Laugh

nhpureandsimple


I once heard that laugher can relieve panic attacks. You may wonder, as I do, how someone in a panic attack could think of anything funny. Some say a person can force themselves to laugh. Perhaps this advice is based on scientific studies, or maybe it’s just an old folk remedy.

But, based on my own humble experience, I can also say that many cases of panic attacks end up being hilarious incidents.

One day before last Christmas, things went a bit spooky—just like a halloween night. December is known for its freezing weather, short days, and long nights—not to mention its violent storms. That evening, my daughter was invited to her friend’s birthday party at some restaurant in town.

Darkness fell early that evening, and strong wind began to pick up. My plan was to take the bus, stop by my husband’s workplace, and then we go together to pick up my daughter.

The moment I stepped onto the bus and scanned my ticket, I felt as if I were in the wrong time or on the wrong bus. The bus was almost full, but not of the usual passengers. Instead, it was packed with people who looked as though they were going to a party. Men and women with different ages were dressed in shiny, glittering outfits.

Slowly, I made my way to the nearest available seat and sat next to a woman who was deep in slumber. I checked the time and it was just past five pm, and I was sure I was on the right bus.

As the bus pulled away, the party started—not with singing or dancing but with loud, chaotic conversations. It was as if they were on separate buses, shouting across the road. They were planning and arguing what food or drinks to order. It was such a noisy and amusing gathering that I didn’t know whether to frown or smile.

We arrived early in town and decided to have a hot drink until it was time to pick up my daughter. The wind pushed and pulled at us as we hurried downhill toward the nearest café. The streets were almost empty— no one was around. If it wasn’t for the Christmas lights, the town would have looked like a haunted place.

We arrived home safe and sound, but not without a few surprises. My husband hurried to the nearest convenience store to buy a few things as weather warnings announced severe conditions.

For the first time since our move, the wooden front gate was locked. (It’s the type with a metal latch that you push up to open or down to lock.) That night, it was fully down and stuck. It became so dark as if it was midnight rather than just past seven pm.

I tried to unlock the gate, but my attemps didn’t work. When I asked my daughter to jump over to try from the inside, she looked shocked as if I had asked her to climb a tree. I tried and tried until the metal moved up— not completely, but enough to be pushed open.

My daughter hurried upstairs to her room to charge her phone while I heated our dinner. Then, all of a sudden, a loud alarming sound echoed all over the house. I ran back and forth, checking everything, trying to find where this sound came from. Then, my daughter started screaming from upstairs, and I ran up to her room.

‘Mama, it’s my phone. It’s making a horrible noise and it’s so hot.’ My daughter was shaking, her face pale as a white sheet.
‘Turn it off,’ I shouted, snatching it from her hands.
It burned in my hand, but the alarming sound had stopped.

We both ran downstairs and left the phone on the kitchen counter, and watching it as if it might explode. The only thought popping into my mind was to throw it away into the garden. Just before taking this action, my phone rang. One of my sons was calling, and I poured out everything that had happened, except my idea to throw the phone away.

‘Are you sure the sound was coming from the phone?’ My son asked.
‘Yes,’  my daughter and I answered at the same time.
‘Was there anything else strange about it?
‘Yes, the screen turned all yellow with a warning message.’ My daughter explained.

My son burst out laughing, just as my husband walked in.
‘Did you get the storm warning message?’ he asked

‘And you were going to throw my phone, Mama,’ my daughter said, the colour returning to her face.
‘And you didn’t even try to read the message!’ I said, and breathed in relief

My daughter and I fell onto the nearest sofa, shaking with laughter, tears rolling down our faces.

What a day! But see? Sometimes, to panic is also to laugh.

With hope and peace,

Nahla

memories

Wives, Husbands, And Household Appliances

nhpureandsimple

One day, while mowing the long grass in my garden, the lawnmower began a weird noise, and then smoke come out of it. I ran to unplug it. Everything was under control with no serious damage caused.

The following day (or week) I seized the opportunity that my husband was working from home and asked him to go with me to buy a new one. Since, the store was not far from home, he agreed.

It was a hot summar day, and my husband, clutching the heavy box, was drenched in sweat.

‘That’s why one shouldn’t work from home,’ my husband grumbled.
‘That’s why one should work from home every now and then,’ I said, stifling a laugh.

We arrived home safe and sound. My husband left the box in the kitchen and ran upstairs.
‘Aren’t you going to help me fix it?’ I called after him.
‘I’ve got a meeting, but give me a shout if you need any.’

I opened the box, took everything out, and gathered all the emply packaging. For a moment, I thought whether to throw away the cardboard, but decided against it. I grabbed the manual which I always found useless. I tried my best to put things together, but that mower, though small, was more complicated to put together. After a dozen attempts, I managed to fix the handle, but there was some wires I had no idea where to place. So, I shouted for help and waited for my husband, who promised to come in as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, I dismantled all the pieces I had put together and made me a nice cup of tea.

‘Oh, you haven’t started anything.’ My husband wondered, and I knew he wished half the job was alreafy done.
‘I did, but things didn’t work. So, it’s your turn to fix it.’
‘At least you could have made me a cup of tea like yours.’
‘I will, but only after you fix it.’I said with a smile.

My husband crouched on the floor, trying to put things together, asking me loads of questions as if I was the one who had invented the machine.

”I’ll try later.’ He gave up.
‘But it won’t get fixed. Something is wrong. Can you just take it back to the store and ask them to assemble it.’

Grumbling and murmuring under his breath, my husband asked about the box and the receipt. I whispered a thankful prayer that I hadn’t torn and bin them.

An hour passed, and my husband neither came home nor called. I finally called him.

‘Why is it taking so long?’
‘They can’t fix it. They called an expert to check it, but he couldn’t either. I got a refund.’ My husband said, sounded both happy and relieved.

‘So, you’re coming home.’
‘No, I’m going to work.’

With hope and peace,

Nahla

P.S. I know the photo is not related to the topic of my post, but l love nature. Isn’t it better than a lawnmower?

holidays

The Easter Holiday

nhpureandsimple

It started off so well, with warm, sunny days, and beautiful clear nights. We went on a short break to Edinburgh. Everything was filled with exciting holiday vibes. My sons joined us as well, which made things more fun and enjoyable

We all love walking so we set our Google Maps and began exploring the beautiful, old city. It wasn’t our first visit to Edinburgh. Actually we had lived in Scotland for five years and we used to visit Edinburgh during the holidays. My sons couldn’t remember anything about it, and of course, neither could my daughter. They were like exploring the charming city for the very first time.

During the day, we wandered through the old town roads and climbed its unique, staircased alleys. I really liked these alleys for they looked like an old storybook. In the evening, we went out for dinner, but things were not as simple and smooth as they were during the day. Without a booking, you aren’t guaranteed a table. But, we managed to explore and find some family ‐ friendly spots. Then, back to the hotel, we stayed up late together, sharing funny stories and snacking until our eyelids grew heavy with sleep. My sons wished us a good night before heading off to their room.

So far, the holiday had been great.

On the second day, my middle son had a train booked for late afternoon as he couldn’t take extra days off work. We made a plan to be back to the hotel after lunchtime so he could have enough time to be get his train on time. This time, my husband didn’t join us, as some of his friends had learned that he was in Edinburgh and wanted to catch up with him.

Once again, the day had been great – busy and full of fun. It wasn’t until we were halfway back to the hotel that my middle son and I began to argue. What we were talking about was not that serious, but it was my reaction that made things worse.

I didn’t know whether it was the heat getting to me, or too much walking, or just one of the mothers’ flaws. My daughter grew emotional, feeling like she was losing all the fun of the day. My eldest son wanted to step in but I glanced at him to not interfere.

A few minutes away from the hotel, we came across a bench sheltered by a beautiful, flowery tree. Silent, the four of us sat there. ‘I’m still hungry. I’m going to get a sandwich,’ my eldest said before leaving us.

‘Now, what’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with what I was saying?’ My middle son began talking, explaing, and arguing.
Oh, my heart – I could feel how angry and disappointed he was. I listened patiently and waited until he was finished. Then, I explained my point calmly. He looked convinced, though he didn’t admit it. But, at least, in some way, we both understood that we meant well.

Back to the hotel, he grabbed his bag and came to my room. We chatted about other things until it was time to head to the train station. We hugged, and forgot all about it.

The next day, we headed to the train station. There was some delays, and the weather changed, becoming colder and windy. Once we got on the second train, my daughter received a message from her friend that upset her, but my eldest son took care of that issue. Exhaused, I closed my eyes just to relax, didn’t expect I would fell sleep. But, I did though I usually don’t fell asleep on train journeys, and my neck still hurting until today.

As the train was finally approaching our station, we got our bags and moved towards the door. There was a man waiting alongside us, coughing and sneezing, and looked awfully unwell. I couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t remain in his seat until the train came to a stop.

The following day, I woke up with slight cold symptoms. The day after, it became much worse with fever and a cough. Today it’s feeling okay.

That’s not all about this Easter holiday – perhaps I will share more soon.

With hope and peace,

Nahla


daily prompt

I Didn’t Answer This One Last Year

nhpureandsimple

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.


I smiled when I read today’s prompt. Do you know why? Because I remembered why I didn’t respond to it, and today, I decided to share my thoughts.

But, first, let me explain why I didn’t answer this prompt last year. That’s simply because I believe your answers would be the same as mine.

Today I just thought of the concept of family as a blood – related entity. By the way, this means I didn’t exactly alter the question but read it differently.

So, within this context, the positive thing I have been learning is that family is family. You can’t trade them, and you can’t change them either. You can’t just wake up one day and decide to erase them from your life no matter what hurt or disappointment they may cause you. You can do that with strangers, because nothing ties you together. But, you can’t do the same with your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.’They are family,’ you will say every time you feel you’ve had enough, right?

Out of this positive blood-tie bond, another positive strategy is born that can help you avoid non-essential problems: It is the art of ‘Mind Your Own Business.’ According to this strategy, you don ‘t ask too much, you don’t play the peacemaker when you are not involved in the scene, and you don’t volunteer to give advice or suggestions if you were forced into the scene. In the end, family tends to overlook what others say, but not yours especially if they didn’t approve your participation because, simply, you’re family too.

With hope and peace,

Nahla