My: Nakheel

I have climbed its rough hide as a child, my small hands gripping the diamond-shaped indentations left by fallen leaves. From the highest safe perch, I could see the curve of the earth, the distant sea, and the rooftops of my neighborhood — a kingdom claimed with every upward pull. The dates would hang in golden clusters, heavy with sweetness, a reward for the brave.

My root. My quiet, enduring pride.

My grandmother told me that the nakheel does not grow alone. “Look at the roots,” she would say. “They hold hands underground, just as we hold hands above.” And it is true. The palms in our grove lean toward one another, not in competition, but in communion. They share the scarce water. They break the wind for the younger shoots. They are a family. My Nakheel