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Thursday 7 January 2010

Hello snow angels!!

I cannot remember the first time I saw snow in England. I remember it was pretty, and gone the next day. This yuletide snow, now this is the real thing. Disrupting the country, people unable to go to work, friends moaning on facebook about the sheer and utter boredom of Yet Another Snowman!
I love the cycle of passionate delight at the appearance of extreme weather and then the eyebrow raising monotony of it all - oh no, snow again! - it reminds me of waiting for the Monsoon, waiting, hoping to get flooded in, and then hating the trapped in feeling of weather mastering your life.


I made snow angels. I chucked snowballs. I made new friends this year gone by, did I tell you? All hospital long I gathered new names and faces in the world of mind and spirit, but then summer came and I returned home to a skittering of loneliness tugging at me. A restlessness of needing more than faraway friends. I hope that doesn't sound ungrateful. Have I ever mentioned how desperately lonely it can get tucked up and away in a little village on the outskirts of a city? And then, the young doctor appeared on the ward, and with him, in time, his wife, his brothers, their friends, and my very first New Year's Eve party... dancing and all!! (My younger brother rang the night before to ensure I went to the party, "Shaista! You are not staying home with The Parents! No guilt!")

So I went. I wore a hot little number and threw some serious shapes, and after we had all
congratulated each other on accomplishing the living of another year, I stole a candle and crept upstairs to the top of their house. In candlelight I recited some prayers to thank my prophets, my saints, my friends, my family, for their prayers, their love, the miracle of still being here. A friend joined me and she spoke of beauty and grace. She is a survivor of Rwanda's genocide, she understands suffering, and she understands grace. We shed some tears. We smiled mistily. And then, we blew out the candle, joined the party downstairs, and lit up the floor all night :)



16 comments:

  1. You might not have that much snow compared to Maine, but it is beautiful. We are better equipped to deal with it. I remember the havoc even a few inches played when we lived in England. It is still a delight as is your blog.

    I’m sorry that you and your friend have suffered, but it is good that you found a friend with such understanding. So nice to connect with you!

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  2. Sounds wonderful. Happy New Year!

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  3. Shaista it all sounds wonderful.

    Yes I understand the need, I understand all of the needs.

    You are graceful and loving dear friend. And oh how I love you.

    I know that you and Angelique and Nadalene would be the best of friends. I know it.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  4. i love these photos, so warm, so magical!! i want to see snow. and i'm glad you have friends that understand.

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  5. I am glad you decided to have fun!Everything has it's season -serious times, celebration times!

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  6. happy new year dearest shaista - so brilliant you were able to dance and twirl to see in the new year!.. this snow has been magic hasnt it. I was at home for christmas and loved taking the dogs for a walk in it..they still find it a bit strange :)
    sending much love-xx

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  7. Have a good day today Shaista.

    Love Renee xoxo

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  8. You describe your time with your friend in a way that makes me long to call my own and sit and chat for hours.

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  9. Sounds like you had a lovely time! Yeah nothing quite beats seeing someone face to face and laughing till your face hurts. Yeah, this snow! I'm trying not to complain and to enjoy (buy a sled? Don't buy a sled?) but phew what a relief when we trekked to the shops yesterday and there were real, other grownup friends I could talk to at the coffee shop! Izzy was as relieved as me to have company her own age, hahaha. Hope you're managing to get out a bit too!

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  10. I would give anything to see a photo of you in that hot little number dancing the night away! Thank goodness for a wise and persistant brother.

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  11. Thank you for your visit and your so kind words in comments; I like your pictures of snow. Living in a place where there's no snow( or once every 15 years!..), such pictures make me really dream . Thank you for that!

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  12. We have MORE snow :-)
    Very fantastic snowshots.
    So peaceful all ...
    Thanks for your visit
    we love new friends !!

    Kareltje =^.^=
    Anya :-)

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. Oh, Shaista, that is so beautiful. You know, in life, I believe we can't taste the sweet without having tasted the bitter as well. Both you and you friend have tasted the bitter, but on New Year's Eve you were able to give thanks for the sweet. That's wonderful.

    And I'll just bet you lit up the dance floor as well. Yay!

    (That deleted comment was me. Somehow I posted on an old obsolute account of mine...)

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  15. You're a hell of a Writer, m'dear.

    Thank you.

    --A

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  16. Very beautiful post, Shaista. I love that you crept away with your candle and said some thank you's. And that your friend from Rwanda was with you - oh yes, she will understand suffering only too well. Also glad you went back down and cut a rug! Hope this year is as wonderful as last.

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