It was wonderful to spend time with my parents but also with the 4 dogs and cat, and of course taking some much needed timeout!
On Saturday morning Tilly and I were reading together on the bed (Tilly’s the cat by the way, rescued by me a year ago from a life on the streets and then taken to live with my parents). These days Tilly is especially into her health and fitness, after spending the first year of her young life eating scraps or any kind of foods she could get her little paws on.
She now likes to read my fitness magazines (or sit on them!), eats a well-balanced nutritious diet and stays active.
No more scraps for Tilly…
Well done to you Tilly for taking such a keen interest in your nutrition and health :)
The article we were just reading together was about sports women in Afghanistan, infact a women's football team in Afghanistan and how they have to overcome so many obstacles including their own families and friends for their right to do something they love.
It’s hard enough being a woman and wanting to play football in this country, let alone in a place like Afghanistan which is something women in the western world will never have to endure.
Afghan women only began to play sports four years after the fall of the Taliban in 2005.
It was only when the women’s minister for Afghanistan went to Germany and was so amazed by the support for women’s sport that she asked the German government for assistance to help get Afghan’s started on the road to introducing women’s sport into her country.
Unfortunately not all students find it easy to play football in their own school as they are told ‘Sports are for sluts’.
It’s unbelievable what these women have to go through….
Yet they continue...
even though they are threatened with violence if they carry on!
Whilst the Taliban were in power, women were required to wear burkas that covered their faces and bodies. Although the Taliban are no longer in power there are still restrictions on what women can wear and the photos of the players are shown with them still covering their heads with scarves, long sleeved shirts and tracksuit bottoms.
They are always careful to prevent any hair or flesh showing.
The football team recently went to Bangladesh for a football match and there they could push up their sleeves, not caring what they looked like.
One particular quote I loved was from a woman called Sabra….
‘When we went to Bangladesh it was like flying, we were like birds, I was jumping, I was running hard, I was playing. I was not afraid; this was my time to enjoy.
This brought tears to my eyes, as a western woman I couldn’t imagine what they must go through, the restraints that are put on their lives.
I do believe we have to sit back every so often and realise what we have and how lucky we are to have the lives that we want.
The only restraints we face are the ones we place on ourselves.
The majority of us aren’t threatened with violence and verbally abused if we want to go for a run or play a game of baseball with our friends.
We are allowed to get on with our lives and generally live them as we see fit.
These women are women to be admired; they continue to fight for what they believe in and follow their passion every day of their lives.
Which to me is incredible…
**As I mentioned I will be moving house soon, so look out for a guest post from Tilly at the end of August.
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