family, water & chocolate

my mom, Susan Strong

i am back in the states for a month visiting family.  it is something we look forward to for a long time while we're so far away.  when we're here, time slows down and we spend the days appreciating everyone and everything that we miss..

dad doing well after radiation treatment 2 months ago

for me, it's particularly a time of paying attention to my parents and honoring them.  i'm aware more than ever of the finality of life and that our time together is more precious than ever because it is so far and few between.  i've recently seen my dad as a cancer patient, and earlier in life i saw my mom with a life-threatening illness.  now that i'm a mother, i see and feel differently than i did as a child or young adult.  i just want to bring them happiness however i can.  i find myself very conscious of respecting them, listening to them, laughing with them and being evermore patient with whatever it is about them that may test that virtue.

the first aspect of life that affected me immediately on this trip -- and which is consciously a significant part of our lives in ghana -- is that i can drink water straight from the tap without any concern that it will make me sick.  in ghana, we have to pay for drinking water -- we bought a dispenser which holds a replaceable jug on top -- and cannot have any unboiled, fresh water enter our bodies.  in new jersey, pennsylvania and alabama where our families live, the water is abundant and easily provided without concern for disease.  it is easy to lose touch with reality that we must conserve natural resources to be part of the solution for an aching mother earth when living here.  we recycle a lot in america but we use up a lot of paper towels, ziploc bags and water.  i am able to see in my mind's eye now how the xhosa and ghanaian people make do with so little and conserve everything they have in order to save $ or not create unnecessary waste.  i have always been this way, but now that i have been able to live in africa, it is especially apparent to me how much disparity there is in how people live and use what natural resources are available to them depending most often on how much $ people have.

since i have left south africa, i have become accustomed to living more simply and have acquired a greater ability to conserve one 'resource' that affects my life in a very sweet and essential way: chocolate.  yes, i consider it a resource because there is no good chocolate in ghana that can be purchased at any reasonable cost and because the variety there is very limited --and without it, i feel like one of life's simple pleasures becomes a precious resource to be conserved.  if i want to, i can go to the gourmet market and purchase a bar of Lindt  for between gh12-15 (at least $10).  i can also buy a Snickers bar for gh1.40 which is about $1.  the snickers bar is somewhat comparable to what you have to pay in the states, but of course i like the Lindt chocolate many times more than the snickers.  i just can't justify spending that much $ on a bar of chocolate.  thankfully, and with much gratitude, i have been given some chocolate from 2 dear friends in america (kathy kelley and ariana salvo).  i now have a little collection of good chocolate -- including Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips! -- which i make last as long as possible.  we will bring back a few bars of Lindt, more chocolate chips and a small variety of chocolates to enjoy for the next year and half (which is how long it will probably be before we return to the states again).

i actually have had very little chocolate this past week.  my mom doesn't eat chocolate but for the 3 days i was there she did buy for me a chocolate cookie ice cream pie which was delicious.  my dad's house doesn't have any chocolate bars but there are so many other sweet options that it's been wonderful enjoying licorice, cream cheese icing, coffee flavored ice cream and fresh blueberries.  being with family is certainly the essence of my experience back in the states, but tasting food that cannot be enjoyed in ghana is next on the list (after water) of what i am appreciating most about being here for a month.

Avatar the Last Airbender..Baha'i theme of Oneness

today, ayana and dyami were watching Avatar the Last Airbender.  it is currently our kids' favorite tv show (and the only one they watch, surpassing Ben 10 in their eyes by far).  they don't get to watch it during school days but since school is finished for the term, they were happy to hang out and get to watch a few episodes.

at one point in the show they became very excited and started calling for me to come and watch it.  as i came over to them they were already explaining that i 'HAVE' to see something.  they gave me a hint by saying that what they saw is why their friend always said this was the best show.  as i watched, i saw the characters sitting in a valley on soil..the scene continued to pull away to reveal more of the scenery around them as they continued to become smaller and smaller and until they could no longer be seen.  as this occurred, the wise character described how the root is connected to many other roots..how the spirit of life is one..how if you listen carefully you can hear all of humanity breathing together..how all things are like the branches of the one Tree of Life..!

the spirit of Baha'u'llah's words uttered 160 years ago are becoming the spirit of this new Age:

"Ye are all the fruits of one tree and the leaves of one branch."

for this Message He was tortured, bastinadoed, stripped of all earthly possessions, imprisoned, banished and exiled for 40 years.


the Avatar show isn't perfect but it is laden with essential, spiritual themes which are necessary to broaden our children's understanding of the spiritual powers and truths latent in all the kingdoms of God's creation.  the theme of Oneness as a basic spiritual Truth resonates the most with them.  nothing better than a story reinforcing eternal themes and exalting the station of humanity toward our spiritual nature!  i hope our children grow up to release their spiritual capacity through the arts.  tv, film, theatre and music are desperately in need of a spiritual transformation..

my man!

what fun we had taking this photo as we tried positioning our heads just right while he held the camera..

i have TOO much love for him :)

fireside..for the young at heart

a week ago i explained to some of the kids that have been coming for classes and tutoring that we are hosting a meeting to discuss the Baha'i Faith.  i told them we call it a fireside and that it's not a class, study session or Devotional gathering.  they came with eagerness and joy to my wonderful surprise.  since no one else showed up, it was very informal and more like a deepening, explaining the spiritual nature of our soul and the meaning of one of the Hidden Words:

O COMPANION OF MY THRONE!
Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself, neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment, with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame, and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for evermore.

  (Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)

this simple deepening was met with quiet, concentrated faces.  i am never sure whether the spirit of what i'm saying is understood or received as meaningful or important to others.  i rely on being a hollow reed whose purpose is to serve, but i do wonder afterward what the soul was thinking and feeling in their silence.  this simple fireside was simply perfect because when they left there was joy and radiance in their faces. :)

since last week's fireside, we have shared with them a children's class, a jr. youth group session, Devotions, Sunday night storytelling & Devotions, studying together for exams, dinner & Devotions, and another Devotions (per their request!).  last night, while preparing for the fireside, i was anticipating that they would come but wasn't certain because i can't predict anything -- there are always factors that i will never know about which contribute to the whether or not i will see the kids or not.

i had invited some Baha'i youth for dinner with the hope that they would convey the spirit of the Baha'i Faith in addition to how i have been trying.  we enjoyed a nice dinner together for awhile before the fireside was set to begin.  by 7:15, 15 minutes before it was set to begin, we heard loud sounds outside -- typically this indicates that our friends are calling for us.  indeed, ayana looked out her bedroom window and they communicated with her that they tried to come but the guards wouldn't let them in.  my first reaction was, 'Yay! they are coming!'  my second reaction was that i need to resolve with the guards that they must come ask me first before turning anyone away.  with great delight i found 9 of them running to the gate to greet me.  they were so happy!  after washing their feet outside in the small rinsing area on the side of the house -- which is a post in and of itself! -- they came and sat down.  we were waiting for the boys who live in a different area, as well as any adults who may come as well.  we decided to play 'whisper telephone' -- what a great ice-breaker!  especially with people whose mother tongues are different!  after much laughter, the other kids came and our living room was full of 18 souls. :)

we opened with prayer.  with my eyes closed i cherished hearing them recite the holy words from the Baha'i Writings.  i love all their different voices and accents.  i love how the children have memorized the Selections from classes.  i love how they are striving with courage to read english when it's not always easy.  and it's very sweet to hear them sing along with a song that is now in their hearts.

the fireside itself was unique.  without adults present (except myself!), the youth and kids were able to be serious but informal.  sometimes it was a little chaotic with trying to help them not giggle and comment while someone was talking.  otherwise, it was full of precious moments of little hands being raised to offer their thoughts.  the youth gave a short presentation with practical examples of how one lives as a Baha'i.  this evoked some responses for how they live their lives.

the youth then opened up the discussion by asking them what they have learned about the Faith as a result of the classes.  this is the part of the evening where i couldn't stop smiling.  these are a few of the comments:

..'the Baha’i Faith is awesome’ 

..'be kind & be loving'  

..‘let your eye be chaste..’ 

..'let your hand be faithful'

..'and your heart enlightened'

..'be truthful'

..'show respect'

..'don't make fun of others'

..'no striking others'

..'Baha'u'llah was loving and kind'

..'do not steal'

..'don't talk bad about others when they are not there'

these and other comments created a lively discussion.  it was amazing how the jr. youth conveyed so much of what they had learned from their last session.  they were quietly attentive during the explanation of the quotes to memorize without wanting to say anything in response.  but i can see that it stuck with them, and that they are reflecting on it.  it is the power of the holy spirit in the Word of God that mysteriously affects the soul.  we recite and pray.  we listen to God's Word and we supplicate to Him using His Word.  it is a process of listening and beseeching, then arising to live one's life in accordance with the Divine Will.  my hope is that through the guidance and counsel in the Writings, their lives will begin to transform into noble, dignified, spiritual realities.  this is the purpose of spiritual education..

the discussion gave way to singing, marching, drumming and an array of musical instruments being played. after a refreshment, we prayed together again and gradually closed the evening with loving goodbyes.  no photos for this post; dash had the camera with him in london at the time..