Happy Christmas

Happy Christmas from New York! It has been an eventful eleven days, but so oh-my-gosh wonderful. First things first, never, never underestimate the beautiful gesture of "a leg up." Figuratively speaking, and coming from a horse-riding family, if you've ever tried to get on a larger horse, you ask someone to give you a helping hand, a boost, as one might say, making it easier to tackle the task at hand. We've been so grateful for the kindness, and spare room, of our oh-so-cool family while we're looking for a place. The leg up has been absolutely priceless; we hope to pass this helping hand along many, many times in the future--it is the very least we can do.

We're learning as we go, living and learning, or as The Love I now call home says in Arabic, eish ew shoof. Navigating the city, exploring the DMV, and realizing that walking distance quickly becomes a relative term and that a scarf is a priceless piece of clothing. I am also quickly realizing something about human interaction. Often times, we set the tone of an interaction. We've met some of the most pleasant people here, (along with a few rude ones, I'll admit) but it has left me pondering how much of the stereotypical rudeness is often just a response to our own tone set by our preconceived ideas. I was reminded of our month in France and the genuine niceness we encountered there, opposite of those rude French stereotype. I have to ask myself, "How much of peoples' interaction with me is in my control?" It is truly worth the ponder.

Last, but certainly not least, there was my Christmas Eve Mall Lockdown Extravaganza. The shortened version of the saga:  the commotion behind me ended up being hundreds of frantic people running towards the Bux kiosk screaming "shooter!" As I quickly made my way to the American Eagle stock room, surrounded by panicked people, I realized the only thing I wanted to do was to make a phone call to that girl I love to tell her again, that I loved her. Her voice immediately brought a peace to my soul that is indescribable. Twenty minutes and the all clear came. Gratefully, a false alarm. A clumsy shoplifter, four over zealous security guards, and a broken glass in the Macy's storefront had set off the panic, but I realized afresh and anew how precious life is and how much I adore the Love of my life. Words fail me sometimes.

Anyway we look at it, life is a complicated adventure. Life can certainly change within a split second, making the moments spent with those we love all the more cherished. Those long twenty minutes, made me also rediscover my intense passion for peace. Believing there was an actual shooter, I contemplated the inner turmoil of someone in such a state of desperation and disillusionment. Who would take the lives of random, innocent people on Christmas Eve? Again, gratefully, it was a false alarm, but in today's world, it very easily could have been. World peace comes from individual inner peace. Each human interaction of peace produces moments of peace within the fabric of society. May we make a more concentrated effort to become agents of peace in the upcoming year.