The Beauty of Life

I have lived in Ingham County, Michigan for 55 years. I love my community, the familiar spaces, sounds, smells, people, and routine.

At this time, I have been traveling in the Middle East for 3 weeks and I am so happy. I am overwhelmed by the peace, beauty, friendship and hospitality of the people. They are connected to the earth, seasons, ancestors, towns, traditions, and God. 

The experiences that are familiar to them are similar and different from those in my life. 

In my home when company arrives, I offer them tea varieties from a box. Last week I was walking to a home to provide overnight accompaniment with my buddy. We got mixed up and arrived at a home where 8 young men were sitting in the garden. Spotting us as Americans they called to us: “Welcome, come up, welcome, come sit. Have some tea.” We were expecting to arrive at the home of a mother with two daughters; we suspected we had made a mistake. I looked in my notebook and asked if they could help us find the correct family. It was the next farm over. Again these young men offered tea, rest and help.

Walking with my traveling companions to the corner store, we noticed that school had been let out. Many children in the store had change for a “sweety” (candy). The public school teaches English and a few children practiced greeting us with basic phrases. It worked! We replied back and now began chatting. Something I have noticed here is the deep love the children have for each other. Young boys aged 10 to 14 walk along the road often holding hands or walking arm in arm. The sounds of laughter during soccer matches, singing, and call to prayer soothes the ears and fills the heart. It's amazing to think that Jesus walked these same roads.

The olive harvest begins up North this week and everything is in bloom. 

early olive harvest

Figs picked from a tree, lemons, limes, cucumbers, tomatoes, pomegranates, guavas, persimmons, apples, bananas, and grapefruits overflow from boxes and bins.

cucumber plants

Everywhere around me is teeming with life. Even the rooming house has adopted a kitten and a puppy. It can feel overwhelming to care for these abandoned animals, except taking care of a little life helps comforts our souls. We are human; we are peace.

Every morning Palestinian families wake with the dawn and do chores. The farms are self-sufficient. Solar panels face the sun, water containers on the roof, filled weekly to provide fresh water. The family will feed, water and milk the goats, bake fresh break, brew tea, feed chickens and sheep. Then the children clean up, put on their uniforms and walk to school. They walk with handfuls of warm bread and hugs and kisses from their parents. They sing and chat. They love.

So much beauty in the routine of daily life. I start to cry when I think about the day we have to leave this ancestral land.