The Paradox of our age

When I came home from Ethiopia last year- I found an emptiness in my life that I could not explain. I was shocked to find that I had returned to Massachusetts with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

I no longer saw my life in the same perspective. It was a long journey before I again made peace and comfort in my feelings regarding our opportunist lifestyle here. Much of what I found in our lives is nicely summarized in a well known speech by the XIVth Dalai Lama.

A few months after finding solice and comfort again in my American life- I returned to Ethiopia. And again- it is still the same words that I find understanding in-the same words that help me find an inner balance. As I read it this time though, I think of my children and how can I teach them to best bridge these two worlds so that they can not only "be the best they can be" but also include teachings about inner balance.

I hope you take a moment to consider them- and perhaps it inspires some "random act of kindness" on your part:

The Paradox of our Age- by the XIV Dalai Lama

"We have bigger house and smaller families;
more convenience, but less time.
We have degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgment;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicine, but less healthiness.
We have been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet our new neighbor.
We built more computers to hold more information,
to product more copies than ever,
but have less communication.
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods, and slow digestion;
tall man and short character;
steep profits, and shallow relationships.
It is time when there is much in the window,
and nothing in the room."

The past few weeks a photo review

One crazy moment at the sox game.

Go Sox- with Auntie Katie

Hanging at the beach with George and his daddy..
oops- yes Debritu's overalls are on backwards.

Habtamu riding his bike.

Waiting in the Rain for Habtamu to finish his swimming lesson

Waiting for Habtamu on a sunny day to finish swim lesson

Waiting with Yordanos

Soccer/T-Ball Camp

Spending time at home with Yordanos - awwwhhh

3 month update from Habtamu

I've been living in America for 3 months now. In those 3 months- I've visited my Nana "egger quase" house in Maine, My aunt and uncle's "tinish bate" in New Hampshire and Habtamu's home in Massachusetts. There are many different kinds of homes in America- some small, some big-but they all have bathrooms with showers or a way to bathe indoors. Some have many different ways to take a bath- some you wear clothes and some you do not-There are big bowls of hot or cold water outside (they call this swimming or a hot tub and there is no soap). Then there's also sometimes cold showers next to these big bowls of water. Sometimes the bathrooms indoors have only showers, only baths but most have both.

Debritu likes to try to drink the toilet water-YUCK- I think she learned this from our dog Geneva. Oh and the toilets all make this big noise-the ones in the places people bring you food and you have to be quiet in- mom calls them "rest-au-rants". When you back up to them go poop- they keep making this noise-a flushing sound- over and over and over. It's very funny!!! To he constant noise and water on your but makes it hard to concentrate. Mostly you have to pull something, or push something- but they are in-doors, you sit on them and they flush only once. There seems to be no standing squat toilets. If you have to go while riding in the car- they encourage you to pee on the trees. Otherwise- you use the indoors.

It's very difficult to find time to write these days- the rain has finally stopped and I'm busy riding my bike, visiting with family and going swimming. Mom says that this kind of weather does not last long where I now live-so I have to spend all my time outside. Personally, I think she wants us outside so we don't "mess up the house". I hear this sentence a lot- not sure exactly what it means but it comes out as "go in your play room before you "mess up the house" - or something like that- it's usually when she's trying to cook- and won't look at me because I'm trying to show her something. If I say Mom Mom Ma.. Mom. Mommy.. Momeye... etc a thousand times she eventually looks up- but it's not always a "pretty" look she gives me and I forget what I was going to say. I wish she'd just look everytime the first time so I'd stop forgetting.

Debritu has learned to bite, spit, and scream and say no, no, no- she gets in trouble with these words and actions. I've learned to do this thing called a "time out".. not sure what it's all about yet- but I stand in the corner-when mom is angry.

Oh- I asked Dad for a sheep yesterday. Mom and dad looked me with surprise and asked- do you want one to eat it? I had to explain that it would lick my face and live in the house like Geneva does. They didn't pick one up on our way home from the farm we were invited to visit yesterday- but I have hope- maybe today- daddy will bring that sheep home. Until then- I'll just keep telling mommy everything... mommy, mommy, mommy...

Soccer camp, swimming camp and school are fun-well- my sisters screaming- my mom said we have to think about leaving to go swimming (wanna) and I have to put my cars away.

I'll write again soon -
Habtamu