JM

A busy day ahead but filled too with moments of quiet reflection.

خالص تمنياتي بعيد فطر سعيد و مبارك على الجميع و خاصةً لمن يعانون من الظلم و الطغيان

Palestine Mourns a Giant We bid farewell to Dr. Walid Khalidi — a national treasure, a guardian of memory, and a mentor to generations. Born in Jerusalem in 1925, he was one of the most commanding Palestinian voices of the modern era. For more than seven decades, he dedicated his life to bearing witness — documenting what happened to Palestine in 1948 with unflinching honesty and scholarly precision, and ensuring that new generations understand Palestine as it was, as it is, and as it must one day be again. He was the teller of our history and the keeper of our collective memory. I first had the honour of meeting Dr. Khalidi in 2008 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where I was a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. By then, he had long made Cambridge his home after decades of teaching and research at institutions including Oxford, the American University of Beirut, and Harvard. Over the years that followed, his home in Cambridge became a place of refuge and reflection. We would sit for hours speaking about Palestine — its past, its wounds, and its future. He gave generously of his time, wisdom, and spirit. Even through the darkest years — and none have been darker than these last two — he remained a source of steadiness and moral clarity. His emails, arriving with the care and weight of a mentor who never stopped believing, were a lifeline. The last came only weeks ago. Dr. Khalidi’s extraordinary impact was not only in his scholarship but in his refusal to allow Palestine to be erased. Through landmark works such as Before Their Diaspora and All That Remains, and through the institutions he helped build — most notably the Institute for Palestine Studies — he ensured that the story of our people would be preserved with rigour and dignity for generations to come. He devoted his life entirely to Palestine — through scholarship, diplomacy, and mentorship. To countless Palestinian researchers, students, and public servants, he was a teacher and a guiding light. Today, as news of his passing reaches us, I was honoured to speak with his son, Dr. Ahmed Khalidi — himself a distinguished Palestinian scholar — to share my condolences and memories. What I felt most was a proud sadness: proud of everything Dr. Khalidi gave to Palestine and to all of us who followed his path, and sad because the world is immeasurably diminished without him. Today, Jerusalem mourns one of its most distinguished sons, as it once mourned Edward Said. Jaffa mourns as it did with Ibrahim Abu-Lughod. Nablus mourns as it did with Fadwa Tuqan. Palestine mourns a giant. We shall honour Dr. Walid Khalidi in the only way he would have wanted — by continuing the struggle for truth, for justice, and for liberation, until the day scholars walk freely through the gates of a great university in Jerusalem that bears his name, and the Palestine he devoted his life to documenting stands free.

My dearest nazanin N in Tehran, from chance meeting many yrs ago, & our daily conversations since, the tapestry of our life has long been interwoven. Women sharing same aspirations, dreams, heartaches. Now, silence. Praying for you & Iran’s safety x #InternationalWomensDay

Modest Request When I grow old and weary,  legs all atremble, unable to walk far, and my garden— the delightful colors,  delicate shapes,  and delicious scents, when my garden— eyes weak and bleary, too distant to see, then please,  if you will,  bring my garden to me. 2018 j

“Gwnewch y pethau bychan” “Do the little things” Dewi Sant / St David

Remembering with love all those no longer with us but who made St David’s Day such a happy occasion throughout life. Eisteddfods, poetry, books, singing, school preparations warm bara brith, nain’s & aunties, fireside cuddles…

Helping family unpack on their return from Cairo yesterday lunchtime, & keeping close in my prayers family & friends who remain in Middle East, Egypt & Iran. Always close in thought too, those who’s suffering in Palestine continues. Such dark times…

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant Hapus.“Gwnewch y pethau bychan” Diolch o galon am bopeth rydych chi’n ei wneud. Happy St David’s Day. Thanks from the heart for all you do @friendschurches

رمضان كريم و بركاته على الصائمين

Sitting here with morning’s Assam, having wrapped up, fussed over & waved last one out the door. Now to begin preparing month’s shopping/menus/timings for this wee households combined Lent & Ramadan. Oh, new diabetes diagnosis to throw into mix too. Always savoured a challenge!

First time pottering in the garden for almost 9mths. Nature, once a balm for this gal’s soul, seemed to reward me. You’ve done well, I almost heard her whisper…

@medicalmodelbri @NHSEngland @RCPhysicians @acutemedicine @GeriSoc William Cowper-Temple addressed the problem of competence in 1858 in a speech in the Commons, proposing reform of the Wild West of medicine at that time. His arguments mirror the current risks to patients due to deregulation, substitution, and the blurring of roles today.

📝 GP partnership is a double life: clinician for the patient in front of you, steward for a whole community with finite capacity. “Dunkirk in the Waiting Room” - the managed retreat of general practice, and why we’re blamed for the tide. 👇👇👇👇 open.substack.com/pub/davetriska…

@BlackM1710 @artinsociety A perfect excuse indeed, M

@artinsociety @JCelt

A perfect excuse to have a glass of champagne! ~ J & L Lobmeyr art nouveau champagne glass, with enamelling on stem (c 1900, Vienna)

@Megsenmumdr Modern medical practice was created in the 19th century because patients were being harmed, due to the same issues surrounding doctor substitution today. We got standardised medical education, protected titles, and regulation, to protect patients. NHS is being regressed.

This breaks me open every time.

"afraid, yes, but among you again" From 'Snowdrops' by Louise Glück 🌱

"I have enough memories to drink my coffee alone, in a café that everyone thinks is empty, but is full of absent people..." ~Mahmoud Darwish. 🎨 by Kaoru Yamada.

Another superb piece by @dave_dlt Last night 12 family members & friends, all RNs & Drs, sat around supper table discussing it. Reading & speaking as snr practicing clinicians, & as carers of ageing parents &/or as pts ourselves. Emotions running high. Where to even begin!