Today,

I woke up happily, eager to start a new day as a humanitarian worker in Gaza,

but first, my morning routine that I keep developing has to take place.

I opened the water tap; the water is not coming out!

Ah, I forgot for a little bit that I am in Gaza, and I am supposed to cope with everything without murmuring.

So, it is going to be a tough day, ha?

I took some water from the water bucket that we save for emergencies.

Washed my face, using my favorite facial cleanser. Of course, a girl is a girl even during bad times. I skipped the moisturizer for now, since mine is empty.

It is breakfast time!

I opened the fridge,

but why is it dark here? Again!

I forgot that the electricity has been off for almost two years now.

Quite a long time, right?

Okay, let’s see what we have here.

Hmmm, a lot of green pepper, half a cucumber, a bag of lentils. No, I don’t like you, please go away.

Okay, another bag of green pepper? What? Why do we have all of this pepper?

Okay, now where is the cheese? And where is that coffee I used to keep here?

Mom enters,

asks me what I am looking for.

I tell her.

She keeps looking at me.

Keeps looking…

She tells me: There is quite a famine here in Gaza.

And here, I guess I should blame my mind. Yeah, it keeps forgetting things since morning. Or am I pretending to forget those things? Maybe I want to imagine it as a dream—or a nightmare, actually—that I wish to wake up from very soon.

While thinking about this situation, my mom tells me that there is some ground red pepper and…

Now, seriously, what’s going on with pepper in this house?

Okay, I will toast some bread with something hot to drink.

But first, I have to make some fire to prepare the breakfast.

No, I did not forget this one. The soot and black residue on the cookware can never be forgotten.

A legendary cup of tea. In a dramatic scene, sipping the first sip, my inner voice is kind of crying.

I say loudly to silence that voice: Sugar-free and a smoky cup of tea! What a blessing.

Now, after this crazy morning, that looks like it may take a long time but is actually just fifteen minutes,

I head to work with a head full of thoughts about what is waiting for me there—whether I will manage to face any unexpected challenge or not. Most of the days, while walking to my workplace.

I think of how life went too fast that sometimes I cannot feel it.

Like I was supposed to graduate from the English Language Department, as I always wanted, with a big graduation ceremony in my university, with my colleagues, university doctors, and professors celebrating our achievement together at the place that held us for four years there.

The sound of the drone above me interrupts my thoughts, reminding me of the reason why I could not get all of that.

Reminding me of the loss—the constant loss of everything we used to have. But I keep trying not to lose my spark, despite everything.

Note: This project is supported by the British Council as part of the SARD programme, which focuses on the role of English and other languages in building resilience. SARD – Stories of Adversity, Resilience and Determination – encourages Palestinians, particularly young people, to share their stories and lived experiences through creative and educational media. The content of this production is solely the responsibility of Resilient Voices and does not necessarily reflect the views of the supporting or partnering institutions.