The Flash Lights of Past Life

- Nana *my great grandmother* laying down on the floor with her head on brother's lap. She handed me a golden tweezer and asked me to pluck her eyebrows. I thought to myself! walla old ladies never miss the opportunity to look glam

- A cold wind blew my hair all over the place. Our little boat in lake beuna vista . We were listening to very energetic kuwaity song and I could remember our hysterical laughters when the boat broke down in the middle of no where and Joody screams at me to hand her the steering wheel

- Me & Mzmz sitting in the shady bench overlooking the small pond at the university. We were listening to Abdu. A moment of silence followed by: Have you been in love?

- The moment my eyes falls at that picture. A person I did not know anything about. Few months later, my life was all about it

- Auntie was hanging the laundry, I came running: ummy jabaaat walaaad, bysamoonah Mansour. A huge smile on my auntie's face and a reply: 7elo ismah. She looked like her mind started wandering for the time her turn will come

- My family laying down on blanket, in front of the beach. My mom's usual rice & sh3eereia. Dad's red cassette player and my white monkey which I considered my baby throughout my childhood years.

- Mom's driving me & my bro with her newly purchased red mercedes, taking us all over Abu Dhabi. That famous fountain, children playing football and the smell of kabab bbq-ing "tfta7 el nafssss"

- The moment I did my first horse canter, I was transferred to another world

- I decided to hop in another school bus and go to my friend's house. My first experience to try Yamani Cuisine. Tasty Mandi & Besbas left me in la la land

- I was in charge of getting balloons for our friend's surprise party. In the way to her house I heard the song : la 5a6aweena waraha lega, wen tlagaina, tlagaina eb shega

- Climbing what seemed like 1000 stairs to my cousins' friend house in ksa. The house was very dark and trees were so old and tall. She had a huge fish tank in her room. I was scared

- I was writing my english assignment when the news hit on 9/11

- My tears falling down when I saw the documentary on Princess Diana death

- My kuwaity cousins, My saudi cousins being all-nighters. All of us gathered around my aunt who was chopping cucumber and drizzling it with salt & lemon

- Our great seafood bbq at my grandfather's house in KSA. The smell of the "gabgoob" in my plastic plate

The flashlights are countless, it makes me blow a huge sigh coming from a heart that has been through it all. I could look back at my life and feel myself being the "outlier". To much more nice memories and sad ones too. Being open to everything in life, to the fact that remembering these smaller details build our gratitude to everyone who has been part of it.