Go Vote Now

Go vote. Go vote because love needs to prevail. Go vote because your heart needs to prevail. Go vote because YOU need to prevail.

Back in 2000, I voted for the Green party. I was naive. I thought it would make a difference to vote for someone who would make a difference. The two-party system is strong. Maybe, someday that will change, but what is in front of us now…

Go vote now, because democracy is at stake. Go vote now, because your voice matters. Go vote now, because fear, intimidation and self-interest should not run the country. Do not blindly follow those whose values do not measure up to yours. Find your voice and vote. Make democracy a priority.

Parenting Clarity

Parenting of three young children, ages 4, 3, and 1, is like looking through a blurry window.  Sometimes my windows are clean, but most of the time they are slightly opaque.  When you try to parent at first, everything is so new and unclear.  I feel like I am always asking is this normal?  For the most part, everything IS normal, but there are times I seem to question everything.

For example, my daughter is super shy.  Sometimes, I think it is better to let her just grow out of it slowly, and sometimes, I think I need to address it with her daily.  Finding a happy medium is probably the best idea.

Parenting is like also the Dead Sea.  Yes, it is murky and unclear, but it is also salty and good for you, but you are not sure it really IS good for you since nothing can live there.  You will also always float in the Dead Sea—you can’t drown.  I want to visit Jordan and the Dead Sea, Petra, Amman… very much.  My husband’s mom is Jordanian, and half his family lives there—it will be an awesome trip.

Parenting is one of the best things I’ve ever done.  Of course, it is a lot of dirty diapers and giving directions, but the super amazing part is watching them grow and learn, and they do kind of turn into mini-yous, whether you want them to or not.

Parenting is my blurry window.  I need to wipe it clear now and then, and then truly I see with clarity these amazing mini creatures growing up around me.

Hear My Prayer

Raising three amazing children is a wonderful adventure.  They have so much joy, curiosity, and sincerity.  Teaching them is as much about my learning as it is theirs.  My husband and I will face difficult parenting decisions as they grow, as I am Christian, and he is Muslim.

The best part about being a Christian is that I know Jesus loves everyone, which brings me a great sense of peace.  If my children are given options and explore both Christianity and Islam, then I will be happy.  The point of religion is not to force your ideas onto someone, but to love God and love your neighbor.  A personal relationship with God is integral, and that is not found in a church or a mosque, but rather in your heart and soul.

Before we left to visit my husband’s family in Saudi Arabia, I prayed about how to handle being asked to pray in the Islamic manner (Salat—ritual Islamic prayer).  I felt assured that no matter what way I prayed, I was still praying to God and giving thanks.  I would often pray with my husband’s Mom, and it felt good.

One aspect of the life in Saudi Arabia that is different is the way religion is woven into the fabric of society.  The stores are closed during the prayer times, and life halts to worship God.  Although this is clearly not a separation of religion and state as in the U.S., it does have the aspect of stopping work to honor God on Sunday, a time when many stores are closed here.

In Islamic-based countries, you will hear the call to prayer, which is a beautiful sound to hear.  It beckons you to be open to receive God’s glory, and it is almost like a sweet melody that gives your daily life a musical overture.

Mental Hope

You are not your disease.  This is a true statement, but difficult to accept.  With mental illness, knowing that the terrible feeling you are having right now, or the unimaginable intensity of the moment is not who you are, but rather symptoms of your disease is the key to accepting your illness.

The stigma around mental health makes it difficult for many people to talk about their illness or to accept treatment for their illness.  The more people are willing to discuss their health concerns, however, the better off people will be.  Knowing others suffer may make it easier to seek treatment.

I notice how often people discuss physical health issues on Facebook or social media, but people suffering with mental health issues often suffer in silence for fear of being labeled or called “crazy” or “psycho.”  Luckily, I have an amazing support system around me to help me with my mental health issues, and even when people might not have known what was going on with me, they were there for me.  Not everyone is this lucky.

Treatment is the best way to deal with mental health issues.  Seeking the advice of a psychiatrist and/or psychologist will most likely make life better, easier, and more hopeful.  Some people may say “it is all in your head,” and tell them it is, but the way to address it is through medical treatment.  Mental illness is real, but it does not have to control you, rather you control your disease.  In many countries, psychiatrists are few, and the stigma is far greater than it is in the United States.  Seek treatment if you need it, and do not be afraid to talk about it.

Your disease is not who you are—far from it.  People with mental illness are not a bruise on society.  Please break the stigma around mental illness down, and talk about it, seek treatment, and know that you are not your disease.

Mediterranean Cafe

I am currently working on a class to finish my MBA, which I have been working on since 2015.  I’m getting there—graduation date is anticipated for next May.  I’ve had a couple babies since I started, so it is a slow-going process.

My husband and I want to open a Mediterranean café in Fairmont, WV, where we live.  For my Fairmont/West Virginia friends, we want to see opinions on if you think this might be a good option for Fairmont.  Fairmont lacks a lot of variety in the food department, although it has several nice establishments.  What do you think?

We would love to show aspects of the Mid-East that showcases the atmosphere with great food and drinks, an inviting environment, and amazing hospitality that really is the Middle East.  Here are some of the menu options:

  • Falafel Plate with Salad, Hummus, Pickles, & Bread
  • Falafel Sandwich (optional toppings include potatoes, eggplant, feta cheese, hummus, tahini salad, cucumber, tomato, lettuce)
  • Baba Ghanoush
  • Hummus with bread
  • Natural juice (made in front of you) with fruit options of:
    • Banana
    • Mango
    • Strawberry
    • Orange
    • Honey Melon
    • Mixed Fruit
  • Mediterranean Tea
  • Turkish Coffee
  • Arabian Coffee

I would love any feedback from my friends in the Fairmont area.  Please feel free to send/share the link with any of your other friends in the Fairmont area who could give us some additional feedback.

Un-Instinctual Instincts

Starting a blog for me is difficult.  I am a technical writer, so I want it to be perfect, but I also want to express emotions in a way that might insult a grammatically correct, step-by-step writer.

I am married to a man from Saudi Arabia, and I am, an American, Christian woman, who has recently traveled to Saudi Arabia with my three children.  My children are lovely.  They are smart, kind, emotionally-dependent, wonderful human beings that need all my attention all the time.  I love them so much, and I want such a great life for them.  I use my mothering IQ with them most of the time.  That is my intuition…and it works.  Most of the time I have an instinct as to what is wrong, and this really is the truth of it.  Yes, I consult “Google” when I have a question, but for the most part it reinforces the motherly instinct.  Now, Saudi Arabia…

Can you imagine putting on clothes because you are cold?  Of course, yes.  Now, imagine putting on clothes because you are made to…not because it is cold, but because you are living a tradition that requires you to.  Everyone in America, says no way, right?  I wouldn’t do it.  Why not?  I did it because it was the rule, but also because I love my husband, and now, I love his family too.  It may not be equal to require women to wear the Abaya, but it is what I faced.  Would you have said no?  Would it make a difference to say “no, I won’t wear it because my culture says I don’t have to?”  Or would you honor traditions and cultures, before stamping yours on them.  What I am saying is, I made a positive impression of America on his family by following certain traditions, being conservative (in ways that I am not) and being open to new experiences, so that his family thinks of America in a better light than they did before.

I don’t comment on a lot of issues, but I feel for everyone and everything that is happening from gun control to women’s issues (especially women’s issues) because I know the equality that does or does not exist, but I also know women that exist despite inequality, and they are AMAZING!  Women have always been amazing, everywhere…they are superhuman, super-instinctual beings that know everything.  Doesn’t matter the country, women should rule the world, but you know, men…