A message from Doll
I’ve developed this habit called ‘Falafel Fridays’ whereby I – you guessed it – eat falafels on Fridays! Incorporating this into a regular practice helps me to avoid eating processed food the rest of the week and gives me something to look forward to.
For reasons best known to God, for the last month or so, it has rained every single Friday and since I’m mostly averse to any kind of weather apart from blazing sunshine, I’ve been reluctant to make the short trip to the café that makes the falafels I enjoy. However, I am spurred on by my stomach, and on my last visit I mentioned the frequency of the rain to the owner.
As I moaned about the heavy droplets, he laughed and said only in the West do we demonise rain so much. He told me that his Arabic surname means “rain” and that rain is seen as a blessing in many other parts of the world – including Palestine, where he is from. I felt chastised because one of the things I love about where I live in the Cotswolds is how green it is. When I was younger my father worked in the Middle East and so we made frequent trips to various deserts where the land was barren and in much need of rain.
As I was reminded of that, I thought about how this fear of rain sends many of us fleeing the country during the unpredictable weather that is summer in the UK. But travelling is expensive – and travelling by plane means there are also environmental implications. With the cost of living high at the moment, a holiday closer to home is much more accessible. That’s why I’m glad for organisations like CHACS – Christian House and Church Swap. CHACS connects Christians in the UK (and worldwide) and enables them to travel without the cost of accommodation, by staying in each other’s homes. And while sunny weather is not guaranteed, maybe if we saw rain as more of a blessing, and dressed appropriately for it, we would be happier about so-called ‘staycations’ this summer; rain or shine.
Editor + Creative Director
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