A New Perspective.....

It's been a few weeks since I touched my blog. So, many thoughts and feelings have been brewing. I have gone to Istanbul which I will put up at some point. I loved Istanbul without a doubt. It had all the things a city girl could dream of but there is just no place like home. Over the last few weeks, I learned how to be sensitive to other people from other cultures because for the first time in my life I am the stick out like a sore thumb.

Ive always been the type A personality. Everything has to be perfect, everything has to be right. I can't let anyone see me sweat, I can't let anyone see my cry, I have to be tough as nails. I have to overachieve. On the other hand, I believe everything happens for a reason.Being overseas, has made me appreciate home so much. It has given me perspective about a lot of things in my life. There are so many amazing people who have just loved me from 7000 miles away, people i didn't fully appreciate when I was on their front doorstep. I loved my job and the impact i have had and I would love to do it again. I now understand the point of lesson plans and assessments. I understand why we have mounds of paperwork. But I know, I wouldn't have appreciated all of that if I hadn't come overseas.

So, I love being overseas but I can't wait to come home. I can't wait to celebrate holidays and events with my friends and families. Maybe it wasn't the lesson I hoped to learn but I did learn a lesson and I can say that I tried it. Not everything has to be perfect and its ok sometimes to say that things didn't work out at as you planned. A lesson is a lesson whether its good or bad. 

Bayram and the Holidays

School is out to celebrate the Islamic holiday of Bayram. Angie and I decided to hope on a plane and visit Istanbul for vacation (More to come on Istanbul in the next entry :-)  ). Anyhow, as I am sitting on the tour bus riding through Istanbul and listening to the tour guide, I began to think about holidays.

During Bayram, families purchase a live animal which is in most cases a sheep but can also be a cow or goat. They sacrifice the animal, cook the meat and then give it to the poor. The entire family comes together to celebrate having each other and sharing with the less fortunate. The holiday lasts for 4 days and each day there is a different activity or ritual.  The most important part is that the activities are completed as a family. While this principle has much more depth, I have only mentioned it to say that it makes me realize that we too often get caught up in the "holiday". We often forget the meaning or why we are doing something. We get so caught up in the commercial aspect of it all. The shopping, the decorating, the parades but somehow along the way the meaning has been lost.

This will be my first year away from my family for all of the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter etc). I must say that I am guilty of it too. When I was in the states, I only visited home once a year. Of course, I had the time off (Im a teacher lol) but I think over the years I lost the importance of being with the people who I love the most and sharing what we are thankful for and appreciating each other. Thanksgiving has turned more into a tradition of the women getting up early to cook, everybody eating, some fussing of course :-) and then watching an afternoon of football. One things that being overseas has taught me is that you have to appreciate the ones you love. It has also shown me how important it is to be thankful for and share your blessings.

In closing, I will be away from my family this year. However, when I get back I am going to make an effort to have Thanksgiving and holidays as they should be. Not filled with shopping or tension but filled with meaning. As, the holiday season approaches, I encourage everyone to think about why the holiday is important. This year, have a meaningful holiday and share with the less fortunate. Try to invite someone to dinner, give to the Salvation Army, donate food to the shelter or buy toys for a family.