The small distance separating me, my sister and my father was filled with delicious Jordanian delicacies; zesty vine leaves, tangy chicken Fatteh and warm Msakhan rolls. We discussed the different Arabic cuisines, drawing similarities between the Mjaddara and our native Koshary, and tracing back the roots of Fattoush salad. And then, as we always do…
Category: Published Work
Letdowns and Light
The weight of letdowns has been heavy on your achy shoulders. Interactions that start out meaningful and fizzle into nothing. Jobs that promise the world and give back specks of dust. Friends who don’t show up when you need them most. Activism that feels so powerful but doesn’t make an inch of difference. Constantly having…
One month.
It’s been a month since I read the words, “My beautiful friend and sister has passed away.” The Instagram story was in Arabic, white letters against a black background. But the male version of “passed away” was used instead of the female one, right before my friend’s Instagram handle was tagged. “This is a mistake,”…
I saw you in my dreams last night
I dreamt about you last night. Finally. I was starting to think it was never going to happen. But I crawled into bed after my long, endless day of travel, and there you were, on the other side of my closed eyelids. We were being silly, of course. As we always were. We had matching…
Grief and Birthday Cards
Birthdays are undoubtedly my favourite thing in the whole world. I like to think of my birthday as my own unique and personal new year. I write down resolutions for my upcoming year, reflect on my past one in my journal, and always take myself out on special birthday dates. So, of course, I treat…
Coffee & Chaos 