Monday, March 1, 2010

Of Rain & Snow..


It has been raining, non stop, since last night..

The streets are flooded, cars are piledup in traffic, and there's this generally light atmosphere in the office.. The one that always accompanies rain and manages, in a miraculous way, to make things that were so important yesterday seem slightly less important today. It's like the rain actually sprinkles a little bit of water over all the 'hot' topics of our lives, cooling them off slowly in the process..


When I was a little girl, rain used to excite me tremendously! Rain meant that there probably won't be school that day, and that mama will cook super delicious and unique enough for the rare occasion. It would mean that we can go out and play in the street and watch the rain, even mama & baba! It meant that for just that one day, we can smile at strangers in the street, and we can splash ourselves and get dirty in ways that mama won't tolerate on any other 'normal' day..


Rain was awesome, to say the least!


When I moved to my home country for my studies, one of the things that I was super excited about was that that meant I'd spend winter in a country where there's snow.. 'Can you believe it? Actual snow!'

That's how I would tell my friends about it, that's how excited I was..


And I'll never forget that day.. I was in university, it was around 1:00 pm when it started snowing. It was very slow at the beginning, and then it started picking up pace. Classes were cancelled, and it seemed like the entire campus was out on the street.


Snow fights began!!!


Students started throwing snow balls at one another, and on passing cars. This was not the time to be offended or to take it personally, this was the time where you actually pick up snow yourself, roll it into a snow ball, and throw it at others yourself. Oh, and laugh out loud, so loud that it would be utterly inappropriate in other times- only not at that time.


On that day, I played and laughed and slipped and fell and had a great time, and then later on I discovered, to my dismay, that snow actually burns! My palms, which weren't covered in gloves, were literally burning! They were so red and raw, and they hurt like they were on fire..


But it was worth it.. It sure was..


Now, over the years, since that great day, snow still has that holiness in my heart.. I remember all the days in the years after, when I woke up some days in winter, looked out of the window, and found the entire city buried in a layer of white.. And I would just stand there, and look at the whiteness.. So pure, so beautiful.. So white!


When we were kids, and during our spring break (which actually took place in this country's winter!) my sister and I enjoyed sleeping in.. To wake us up, baba would come into the room and say: There's snow! (In Arabic, the word Thalj means both snow, and ice) and we'd be so excited that we'd lift up our heads and say: Really?! And he would say: Yes, I swear! And considering that baba would never lie, we would jump out of bed and run to the nearest window.. But of course, there would be no snow.. And we would look at baba, laughing and showing us ice cubes in the freezer.. I can't imagine how that trick worked each and every time.. We always had the doubt that maybe, just maybe, this time, there will be snow!


But here I am now, missing the snow and not enjoying the rain! How typical of me..


Happy rain every one! It's the time for cleansing every day's pressure and running around.. It's the time to enjoy one of the greatest gifts God has given us..

2 comments:

  1. Oh Salma, you are a wonder with words. I truly enjoyed your post. I am going to share it with my facebook friends as well, it deserves to be read. I know what you mean about those special foods. For my kids who were forever being commuted to and from school we would stop by Little Caesars for some dollar breadsticks, piping hot and coated with butter and parmesan to warm them from the inside out. Once we got home it would be soup, lentil or shariya.

    I love the trick your dad played! I'm going to have to tell my husband that one. It would only work coming from him.

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  2. how about passing by us here for some real snow ;)

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