Today Mama and I stood at the kitchen stove, talking for hours while we took turns stirring the lentil soup, chopping and steaming and mashing carrots and potatoes, turning the dials on the stove up and down and up again to keep the simmer going.
So much communion with family in your memories - love it. We are always thinking about child number 2, and reading the words sleep deprivation and 3 hours of sleep made me nauseous 😂
Hahahaaa I know! He's 11 and I'm still not over it. For what it's worth, you already had the sleep deprivation with Myles and all my anecdotal evidence suggests it happens with only one of the kids. Sometimes that's the first one and sometimes it's not. For me, it was not....
I love the way you’ve anchored this powerful meditation with “I have these memories…” As a keen young editor committed to the minimum number of words, I’d have changed this to “I remember….” Bad move. Holding onto memories, these particular, formative memories that could only be yours and yet are universal in their fashion, is your subject here, and in this case the extra words do a lot of heavy lifting. I had to tell you.
I get nostalgic when I think about the first few years of my life at my nanny's. I have only a few specific memories of that time, but I have a distinct feeling of it. I know it's a big part of my foundation, of who I am, even if I cannot put my finger on it.
I can relate to that, Rachel. The feeling is the most important part of it. The way you described that is very similar to how I feel about my mother's mother, my Teta, of whom I wrote a few months ago... The details are fuzzy beyond a few distinct memories, but I know she poured her love into me and it helped build me.
This time of year makes me really nostalgic. The way the tall grass sways over the misty dark roads and the whole world feels like velvet. Im driving around, 17 again. I love it.
So beautiful, Noha! I see someone else also resonated with what I highlighted to uplift: "Is this the magic of time with your mother? That she is your root, and so you flower again and again in her company?" What a beautiful image. I love the flow and sweetness of your memories, centered around family time. It's sparking memories of Christmas with my mother's family in Chicago, which we did every other year until her grandmother, my great-grandmother, passed. A lot changed after that, but I remember the laughter and the gathering of a big family and it was a treasure for me. I'm happy you had this time with your mother in the preparations. Blessed Eid to you.
Thank you so much, my dear Anne-Marie. I'm glad to have brought forward the memories with your mother's family in Chicago... Eid was lovely this year. It's over but we still have one last Eid event this Saturday.
Noha thank you for sharing your memories. I am touched by them. Your closing paragraph is beautiful. I especially liked, "like jumping into the lake of my existence." This phrase gives me a new way to see myself. I love it! And I also liked, when speaking of being with your mother, you said, "That she is your root, and so you flower again and again in her company?" This is so beautiful! I think of you in your mother's eyes as you blossom again and again over the years. I will treasure both of these thoughts now! So happy I have found your writing.
Sandy, that is so generous! Thank you. The lines you pointed out were some of my favourite lines too so I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed them. And welcome to the newsletter! Hope to see you here as I continue...
Lovely evocative writing weaving such beautiful memories. Shukran. Thank you.
Thank you so much! That’s incredibly kind of you…
So much communion with family in your memories - love it. We are always thinking about child number 2, and reading the words sleep deprivation and 3 hours of sleep made me nauseous 😂
Hahahaaa I know! He's 11 and I'm still not over it. For what it's worth, you already had the sleep deprivation with Myles and all my anecdotal evidence suggests it happens with only one of the kids. Sometimes that's the first one and sometimes it's not. For me, it was not....
Thank you for letting me see your memories. They are beautiful.
Thank you, Maceo!
This was such a heartwarming gorgeous piece Noha! May Allah preserve all your family members ❤️
Ameen ameen. Thank you so much, Yousra.
I love the way you’ve anchored this powerful meditation with “I have these memories…” As a keen young editor committed to the minimum number of words, I’d have changed this to “I remember….” Bad move. Holding onto memories, these particular, formative memories that could only be yours and yet are universal in their fashion, is your subject here, and in this case the extra words do a lot of heavy lifting. I had to tell you.
Rona, that means so much to me! Thank you for telling me and feel free to let me know when the word choice doesn't work too, if the spirit moves you.
I get nostalgic when I think about the first few years of my life at my nanny's. I have only a few specific memories of that time, but I have a distinct feeling of it. I know it's a big part of my foundation, of who I am, even if I cannot put my finger on it.
I can relate to that, Rachel. The feeling is the most important part of it. The way you described that is very similar to how I feel about my mother's mother, my Teta, of whom I wrote a few months ago... The details are fuzzy beyond a few distinct memories, but I know she poured her love into me and it helped build me.
I also loved getting these little snippets from your memory bank
This time of year makes me really nostalgic. The way the tall grass sways over the misty dark roads and the whole world feels like velvet. Im driving around, 17 again. I love it.
So beautiful, Noha! I see someone else also resonated with what I highlighted to uplift: "Is this the magic of time with your mother? That she is your root, and so you flower again and again in her company?" What a beautiful image. I love the flow and sweetness of your memories, centered around family time. It's sparking memories of Christmas with my mother's family in Chicago, which we did every other year until her grandmother, my great-grandmother, passed. A lot changed after that, but I remember the laughter and the gathering of a big family and it was a treasure for me. I'm happy you had this time with your mother in the preparations. Blessed Eid to you.
Thank you so much, my dear Anne-Marie. I'm glad to have brought forward the memories with your mother's family in Chicago... Eid was lovely this year. It's over but we still have one last Eid event this Saturday.
Thank you, Noha, and so glad to hear your celebration was good - may the last event this weekend be so as well!
Noha thank you for sharing your memories. I am touched by them. Your closing paragraph is beautiful. I especially liked, "like jumping into the lake of my existence." This phrase gives me a new way to see myself. I love it! And I also liked, when speaking of being with your mother, you said, "That she is your root, and so you flower again and again in her company?" This is so beautiful! I think of you in your mother's eyes as you blossom again and again over the years. I will treasure both of these thoughts now! So happy I have found your writing.
Sandy, that is so generous! Thank you. The lines you pointed out were some of my favourite lines too so I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed them. And welcome to the newsletter! Hope to see you here as I continue...