I think Mother's Day may have come early for me this year! I got a picture of my big guys WITH me in it and everyone is smiling! Woot! (Also, when did I get so short???)
This week has been a bit of a blur. Jet lag is real and for at least a day and a half my brain felt completely out of it. I think I'm mostly back to normal now - although I did wake up at 4:20 this morning... so...
I've spent some time reflecting on the last couple of weeks and I don't think it's a huge stretch to say that there were some life-changing moments that happened. These weren't getting to see the tallest building in the world or touching the Persian Gulf water or hanging out in a building that dates back to 1080. The stuff that truly impacted me was far more subtle.
One of our tour guides has 5 kids. We spent some time talking to him about his family. He is raiding his 3 nieces and has a girl and boy of his own. We weren't prying to learn more, but it came out in conversation that his sister and brother-in-law were killed in a tsunami back in India. The story is even more chilling than *just* that because it turns out that he happened to be in town visiting when the tsunami happened. The morning of the event he decided he wanted to go fishing and gathered up his parents to drive over to another village. He asked his sister and brother-in-law to go too, but they had a restaurant and couldn't leave it. They did, however, send their kids. That decision, to go on that day-trip, and to take his parents and nieces, changed the course of his life - and of theirs. They never saw their mom and dad/sister/daughter again.
What a strong reminder that the decisions you make every single day have the potential to change everything.
We went shopping at the Dubai Mall one day. That place was insane. We walked all day and probably only saw about a third of the place. There were tons of people there. Obviously there were other tourists, but there were also lots of locals - or people whom I assumed were local. We were in a store called Zara (remember that name because I predict it will become very popular here in the next 5 years...) and we were just browsing. One of my friends wanted to try on some clothes, so I was just hanging out waiting. I saw this young family of 3. The mom was shopping for clothes (just like everyone else) and she was engrossed in her task. The dad was carrying around the baby, a boy of about 9 or 10 months. He was cooing and laughing and playing and comforting the child. It was a scene that could have been played out anywhere. Except the mom was in a full Muslim robe with her head and face covered. The dad was also in full traditional dress with a head covering as well. This was a significantly different image of Muslim people than we are accustomed to seeing on the US news.
What a blatant example that people are people all over the world. What they believe in doesn't change the fact that they love their kids, each other, and a good sale on trendy shirts.
One day my American colleagues and I had lunch with a man who was originally Scottish, but had spent the last 20 years or so living abroad in a wide variety of locations. He was pretty fascinating. He told us his favorite places to live and described the work he and his wife were doing. The more interesting part of the conversation, however, was how interested he was in US. Apparently his perceptions and stereotypes of Americans didn't fit nicely with the way we talked, behaving, or shared. We talked about politics and entertainment and religion and school and all sorts of things. In almost every topic we surprised him with our answers. His impressions of who we were and what we believed because we lived in the United States was really skewed. It was so eye-opening for both him and us!
What a clear way to see that if you really want to know something about someone, you have to actually talk to them. Where they live, what they wear, what they drive, and who they are with really don't tell the story. To know someone, you have to put forth effort and set-aside your beliefs and stereotypes.
You have to have an open-mind if you want to have an open-heart.
So yes, I am so glad I got to feel the powder-like sand in the Arabian desert. I very much enjoyed eating hummus and fresh bread at pretty much every meal. And I'll always remember the chaos of the old traditional souks selling everything from tea to leather. Not to mention the fact that the Games of Strategy class was pretty interesting...
But the real learning of this trip happened in the quiet moments - and those are the ones that have changed and enhanced me. I really am blessed to have had these experiences... and even more blessed to get to come home to this crazy, messy, chaotic, American house in the suburbs full of people I love and who love me back.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I get to celebrate with MY mom tomorrow night and I can't wait to have a good chat with her over a good bottle of wine!
Cheers!
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