Tag: Joy

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

Joy and Blogging

nhpureandsimple



Blogging is really fun. Well… that’s how I see it.

Imagine writing with no obligations, no deadlines, and no pressure. Just you, your thoughts, your imagination, and your piece of writing.

And … it’s also another way to hear others and be heard. Some voices are loud, some whisper. Some are bold, some shy. Some dramatic, some romantic. Some informative, some subjective. Isn’t that beautiful?

How interesting it is that, within this big collection of voices, you, in most cases, don’t know and would never expect to cross paths with another blogger. It’s even more interesting that you may have nothing in common. Your origins, cultures, religions, beliefs, and even your mothertongues might be totally different. The only thing that brought you together is blogging, which may also be for different reasons.

Isn’t it a joy to find peace in writing?
Of course it is.

No wonder some people say that writing is a simple, soothing remedy for mental and emotional well-being. Perhaps it’s because the paper, or the screen you’re tapping on, just listens. It waits patiently until you finish your piece with no interruptions, no complications. Perhaps it’s because you can express yourself, your feelings, and your thoughts more freely in writing than speaking. Or maybe… it’s simply because you love the feeling of being a writer.

And finally, there’s a joy in reading others’ thoughts which can make you smile, laugh, cry, or even teach you something new … and maybe even different.

Keep writing with joy!


With hope and peace,

Nahla






daily prompt

The little feathered visitors

nhpureandsimple

Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.

Close to where I live, is a small shopping area. Sometimes when I go out, I see a man stretching his arm out, turing his open plam heavenward, and his hand full of birds’ seeds. A beautiful white pigeon is always the one that stands there to peck at the seeds from his hand. Other pigeons will be gathering and surroundintg them on the ground while pecking at some more seeds that, I am pretty sure, the same man scattered for them. It’s a serene scene that always brings a smile to my face and fills me with joy.

I usually scatter some seeds in my garden for the pigeons to visit and eat. Sometimes, I add some leftover rice or bread crumbs so they have a different treat. But, my little visitors are not as brave as the ones I see outside. I have to be very quiet as I peek from behind the window to watch them. Still, their sight makes me smile. 

Do you know that the lenses of our digital cameras, phone cameras, can never give us the same joy as seeing and contemplating things or people with our own eyes. Most people take so many pictures these days, but none will make you feel as the actual moment they were taken. 

Enjoy the moment!

With all the best wishes,

Nahla