Blessings

Jan26

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Every situation in life can bring sunshine into our lives

Even the most challenging ones

The outpourings of love I receive continuously is a gift

I keep receiving because of my cancer experience

Talking to friends I haven’t talked to for years

Feeling blessed for having so many good friends

Being comforted and strengthened by their kind words

Receiving their prayers and well wishes

I’m not saying it’s all fun and games

Of course there are difficult times

Of course it was a shock 

Chemo is no walk in the park

Surgery involves pain and a slow recovery

But when all is said and done

Any difficult situation brings with it gifts as well

And the best gift I have received so far

Is the onrushing deluge of the love of my friends 

January 26th, 2023

My painted nails

Jan25

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Different kinds of chemo have different side effects

There could be a funny taste in one’s mouth

Food may not seem as flavour full as before

Nausea is a common one

And hair loss as well as fatigue

There is a strange side effect that involves the finger nails

They start getting darker at the cuticle

And that dark patch expands gradually

First this happened to my thumb nails

And then the other finger nails

My toe nails too

My oncologist said I could paint my nails

But first I decided it didn’t bother me so much

No one was staring at may nails anyway

And this would be over in a few months

Then yesterday I changed my mind

And painted my finger nails and toe nails

It took a while

It was a bit messy

And because I don’t have the patience to let them dry

They got smudged

And I had to paint them over again

But once it was done I found my nails prettier than before

And every time I look at my finger nails now

I’m not reminded of chemo

January 17th, 2023

Where has kindness gone?

Jan24

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Where has kindness gone?

I miss it so

It used to perfume the air

It made the flowers bloom

It could be felt in the spring air

It would illumine the room

Where has kindness gone?

I miss it so

The days are darker now

The sun is hiding behind the clouds

I’m sure if kindness came back

The sun would shine again

Where has kindness gone?

People don’t smile that much 

No one lends a helping hand 

No one talks to each other on the street

No one brings flowers anymore

Where has kindness gone?

Is it hiding at the end of a rainbow?

Is it in the pot of gold?

It’s time for kindness to come back

We need it so

January 24th

Inspired by a poem written by a friend in Iran

I can’t imagine

Jan22

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I can’t imagine how it feels

When your destiny is in the hands of those 

Who don’t have your best interest at heart

Those with ulterior motives 

With no concern for justice 

I can’t imagine how it feels

To wait three more days to have their verdict

Freedom or jail 

And how long?

It’s like deja vu

After all, this happened years ago as well

And the result was ten years of imprisonment

I can’t imagine the strength it takes

To deal with this uncertainly  

And accept what comes with acquiescence 

Acquiescence resulting from faith and certitude that all will be well 

Having tasted the feeling of freedom 

After five months of imprisonment 

I can’t imagine how one prepares oneself for any eventuality 

Knowing that one could be in confinement

Far from friends and family again

I can’t imagine 

January 22nd 2023

For my dear friend, Afif Naimi 

who was imprisoned for ten years because he is a Baha’i

and is awaiting a court date again

My chipped plate

Jan22

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It’s a small round ceramic desert plate, chipped in one area

The rusty color of the clay visible there

First, I wanted to put that plate away or under the other ones in the set

But then when I did that, I missed it

It’s a unique plate like no other in the set

It has personality and color

It has history

Although I don’t know how it got chipped

Perfection is attractive

But most times we are like the chipped plate with a tale to tell

Our imperfections make us real and unique 

January 21st, 2023

My calling

Jan21

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Another cloudy day

The sun has abandoned us

It’s either cloudy

Or it snows

Or there is freezing rain

Our hearts year for sunshine

But my energy is back

And there is lots to do

From writing, to editing to publishing

To making videos and adding poetry to my website

It’s almost a part-time job

But there is no monetary compensation

No career perks

Similar to being a full-time mom

That’s how I’ve spend most of my life

Doing things that I find important and rewarding

But not earning a dime

I call Albert my benefactor

He has supported me all along

He says raising children is a most important job

And as for writing

I have no choice

I think it’s my calling in this life

January 21st, 2023

Cup half full

Jan20

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It’s like a rebirth

Every time I get out of a depression

Yes, I can mourn the time lost

Be upset that I found myself in the valley of fog again

Or I can be grateful

To have my energy back

To feel like writing again

To laugh out loud

To plan projects

To be creative

And fully participate in life again

You forget what you have till you lose it

You can take so much for granted

Even the cloudy days don’t bother me as much

When the sun shines in my heart  

Jan 19, 2023

Almost vegetarian

Jan19

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My dishes are ‘almost vegetarian’

Let me explain

Instead of one serving of meet per person

I use half a serving

For example 50 grams chicken instead of 100

I replace the other half a serving with vegetables

Mushroom, sweet peppers, beans and peas etc.

This way you can still have the taste of meet

And yet eat a lot of vegetables and greens

I’m sure many vegetarians would not like this classification

« There is no almost vegetarian, » they’d say, feeling frustrated

« How can you eat meet and call it vegetarian?”

But I said almost vegetarian, didn’t I?

Jan 18th, 2023

Sharing my journey

Jan18

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We usually don’t talk about illnesses like cancer

Many people decide to keep it to themselves

I can understand that

I hesitated a little at first

But not for long

I live a very transparent life

So the friends I’m in touch with regularly found out first

There is the initial sense of surprise 

And then come the warm comforting thoughts

The advantage of sharing of the news of this illness with friends

Is receiving their love and support and 

Their prayers and well wishes

They reach out to you and let you know 

You are not alone in this journey

Cancer treatment has advanced substantially 

If detected early, the prognosis is good

So, I’m sharing my journey with my friends

Their love and compassion sustains me and gives me strength 

January 18th, 2023

My finger nails

Jan17

 

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Different kinds of chemo have different side effects

There could be a funny taste in your mouth

Food may not seem as flavour full as before

Nausea is a common one

And hair loss as well as fatigue

There is a strange side effect that involves the finger nails

They start getting darker at the cuticle end

And that dark patch expands gradually

First it happened to my thumb nails

And then the other finger nails

The toe nails too

My oncologist said I could paint my nails

But I’ve decided it doesn’t bother me so much

No one stares at may nails anyway

And this will be over in a few months

 

January 17th, 2023