Apples and Burqas

Ricardo and I have been praying and contemplating a move outside the city.  It's such a tough decision. Maybe not for everyone, but we always said we wanted to raise our kids here.  Now that we have almost 4 of them, we still have that desire, but realities have set in and we are balancing them and trying to weigh our options.  I recently read an article that poked fun at the idea of having more space and a suburban life style.  It touted the tough minded, steadfast individuals who stick it out year after year in their one bedroom apartment with four kids.  I admire the positivity of the writer.  I respect him pointing out that living in a small space is nothing compared to living in Darfur or Syria right now.  He is right.  But... it's still a tough decision.

Yesterday I was reminded of one of the reasons we love it here.  T. and I had gone on our weekly trip to the produce store.  She was sitting in the shopping cart helping me choose apples.  Another patron passed us wearing a Burqa; only her eyes were showing.  T. looked up and smiled, pointing to the lady she said, "Oh look it's Husam's mommy!" referring to a friend of mine.  Seriously where else in this country would my daughter have such a nonchalant reaction to something so foreign and strange to most people?  To her, the lady just reminded her of one of our friends.  The opportunity to know and love and be loved by so many wonderful people from so many places doesn't happen everywhere.  But God has allowed that to happen for us here.

I don't know what's ahead for us, but I hope no matter where we go, my children will grow up around a multitude of different people from different cultures, walks of life, and experiences.  God created this rainbow of people and and I want my kids to live amongst it's beauty.  If we can't have that anywhere else, I don't know if I'll be able to leave.