Sundaze 205

Like so many this week, my heart feels heavy this Sunday. I’ve had a tricky week in my personal life and I haven’t quite given myself the time or space to figure it out. That’ll come in time, though. The real topic weighing heavy on my heart and mind is the struggle in Palestine right now. I’ve devoted much of my week to learning more about what’s happening with the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and I think it’s important that we all take some time to learn some more.

With all that in mind, I wanted to extend a big ‘thank you’ to you all in this community for always having my back and uplifting me when I’m down. You probably don’t even know how much I’ve leaned on this cosy space over the years and I’ll be forever grateful. It’s truly like sending off little letters to the best bunch of pen pals; your emails, DMs, comments and other flutters of interaction never go unnoticed and I learn so much from you all.

Standing with Palestine

It goes without saying that I wholeheartedly stand with the people of Palestine. The conflict has arisen over territory and boundaries, and of course is an incredibly nuanced topic. From the problematic funding from corporations the world over to falsehoods spread of and by each party, the conflict is a bit of a minefield to learn about. What I do know is that it’s completely unacceptable that Palestinians have been and continue to be driven from the place they call home, and with abundant violence thrown in.

I’m sharing a few useful links below, so you can start to learn more, along with a petition to sign and a fundraiser to donate to (if you’re able to):

Israel Palestine Conflict 101 via Jewish Voice for Peace
The History of the Question of Palestine
Petition for the UK Government to formally recognise the State of Palestine (make sure you click the confirmation email too!)
Help Gaza GoFundMe

Nurturing more hobbies and passions

I’ve been quite nervous and scared about the last few lots of restrictions easing here in England.

Not least because the pandemic is very much still around, but because I knew it’d force me to confront all that has changed in my life since March 2020. I don’t even recognise my lifestyle anymore, and that can be a good thing too. Gone are the commutes that’d lead to panic attacks, the exhausting evenings. But gone too is the chance to meet up with friends after work, try delicious dishes at new London restaurants. Gone is a long-term relationship, but in its place is extreme insecurity and a wonder of what my spare time looks like now that that time is, well, mine.

And so, this week, I took it upon myself to fill my cup by nurturing more hobbies and passions. Trying everything back on for size to see how my weeks can look. And? It’s felt good. An evening of reading in bed after a difficult day at work. A stroll at the lake. Playing games. A little crochet. Calling up friends ‘just because’. Here’s to carefully stepping forwards into new trails.