Welcome Home Mommy

I came home late from a long day at work to find my M feeding my little m.  As soon as my little angel heard me she started laughing and pumping her fist and kicking her leg while laying in her rocker.  She obviously was very excited and happy even to have heard my voice. When I picked her up she started "talking" by making very sweet noises and sometimes squeaking excitedly.  She contently stayed with me while I carried her around and even as I ate my dinner.  I was telling M about my day and she made noises in response.  She was very sweet and even though I missed her and I felt bad knowing that she had missed me too it was one of the best mommy moments in my life!

Christmas Hanukkah Yalda

Since Christmas coincides nicely with the longest night of the year that we celebrate as Yalda we decided to give Yalda cards for the holidays this year and hopefully for the years to come.

I have realized that Hanukkah is being advertised and celebrated more publicly these days. I think it rhymes very nicely with the festivities of the Christmas Holidays. At around the same time we Iranians celebrate Yalda, the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. We celebrate the light conquering the darkness. We recognize that even though till then the length of night was increasing, from then on the length of the day increases and spring is in sight. We cherish how darkness, even though trying, can never prevail. We celebrate the hope and beauty of light.

It is as if we are keeping all these meanings and celebrations to ourselves. It is indeed a Persian celebration but how nicely it alludes into the spirit of Christmas and Hanukkah.  Yalda is more ancient than them both and  I think Yalda can very well be recognized more widely.  How about giving away Yalda cards for the holidays?

Imagine a card with the pictures of pomegranate and Hafez and Shahnameh poetry books and nuts in the middle of red and green cards of Santa Claus and blue and white cards with Menorah.  It will be festive, peaceful, united, and global. It will be understanding and accepting. It will expand horizons and exude friendship.
I wish you all happy holidays in advance!
 

http://www.iranreview.org/content/Documents/Celebrating_Yalda_2.htm

Add http://live.longhill.org.uk/?p=7193

http://www.localnomad.com/en/blog/2012/12/05/why-decorate-the-christmas-tree/

Missing Me when Missing You

I miss you and I miss me through you.  I miss how you look at me because I miss how I look to you.  I miss how you make me feel. I miss how you make me talk. I miss how you make me feel heard.

I miss being with you.  Perhaps I miss being me.

People are not Always Listened To

We were blessed with rain yesterday. It rained well into the night.  It was lively and refreshing. Particularly after the hazy grey day we had the day before as if dust had covered the horizon. I can imagine the fresh morning of tomorrow.

It amazes me how people of sunny California express dislike toward rain, even hate sometime. It amazes me how ignorant they can be toward the fact that we need the water if assuming that is the only benefit. People believe that they are entitled to have sunny days in California. They don't care about rain; they know somehow from somewhere water will flow from faucets even though we get drought warning almost every summer.

Thank God for the rain! Thank God for the compassionate sky which like it or not will send rain drops to the thirsty ground so humans can drink and refresh. Thank God that people are not always listened to.

Mommy and Son Artwork on A Saturday

We had a nice mommy and sunny son time this evening: playing with doughs. A got a set of four clays in the birthday party he attended earlier today and made a plane and a car with them. The next things he made were some snails which were racing each other. At this point all the four clays were mixed into one giant ball. I remember we used to combine the play doughs too, making a huge mixed-color ball.  A invited me to make a snake with him and join the race but I made still life instead.  He was impressed.

He got inspired at this point and made a solar system! Such an artist I have as a son!

Now. Let's have some tea!

Just Get up and Move

Perhaps the most important step toward any goal is to take a step.  Status quo may be safer, may be most familiar and most convenient; But it is status quo. If you are already at your destination then feel free to stay put. If not, shake it up. Get up and take a step or two. Staying is at odds with anticipation of new achievements.

There are risks to be taken. There are hurdles to be conquered.  There are muscles to be built. There are lessons to be learned. There are paths to be changed, modified.

Finally, there are goals to be achieved. Take the step now.

Life is Complete the Way It Is

My cousin who has just come back from Iran called today "while still smelling like Iran". He said he had a great time taking care of his aging parents and visiting family. Now that he was back he found things were too orderly here it was boring to him. In Tehran, he noted, the days were alive with people talking to, arguing with, and even shouting at each other because they were noticing things and each other. Never a dull moment while traveling in the huge city taking care of the daily chores he said. Of course being with family was all full of energy.

I know what he is talking about. Life is easy here. Thank God for a paying job. Things are indeed too orderly here, the walks, the drives, the shopping, the never talking people, it can be boring.

He joked that we were expelled to exile.

I told him I thought about this sometimes, about what was gained now that I was here and what was lost.

"Life is complete as is", my cousin claimed. One should believe in it. It is complete as is when driving in the traffics of Tehran or spending a lonely Sunday afternoon thinking about your scattered friends around the world in San Jose. Life is complete when at 9pm your son has not finished his homework after a long weekend. Life is complete when you spend the whole day on solving a problem and by the end of the day you are not even one step closer to the solution, or so it feels. Life is complete when you get to chat with a friend from Australia after more than a decade. Life is complete even when it feels lonely, boring, incomplete. Life is complete.

Hiking in Castle Rock State Park

This was m's first mountainous hike.  She seemed to have a good time, looking around and humming with herself while being carried by daddy.

The hike was medium in difficulty. There were climbing boulders involved that were manageable for A but worrisome at times with M carrying m.

Apparently the park is famous for its rocks and there were quite a few rock climbers participating in the adventure.

We had the pleasure of friends' company. It was a great hike, slightly challenging at times in a fabulous fall weather.

Betraying Love

Difficult is the recognition
If someone believes in you or betraying you is their mission
Realize that there has never been a betrayal
But a mismatch of expectation
It might hurt to hear what was kept hidden
Yet, it leads to liberation
There is an inner most private place that allows reflection
The instinct for contemplation
In friendship, close your eyes
In love, caution