Cross-Cultural Experiece

Living in Parker, CO, we don't have a lot of opportunities for cross-cultural experiences. But, this weekend, we had the pleasure of dinner at one of my husband's co-workers homes. This family is Palestinian. The husband moved to the US quite some time ago, but his wife just immigrated to the US four years ago, immediately after marrying. It was an arranged marriage and each of the individuals is from the same small village.

I have to admit that I am utterly in awe of this situation. I can't fathom moving clear across the world with no support system and immediately starting a family and being completely alone. This family is truly amazing and were incredibly hospitable. We were treated to a traditional middle eastern meal (our kids, who tend to hate any unfamiliar food, did quite well). We had chicken and a dish called "upside down", which we were told anyone from the Middle East would be familiar with. It's a rice dish with eggplant, cauliflower, carrots and noodles. We were lavished with hospitality and there wasn't a single request our children made that wasn't granted (much to our chagrin at a few points).

Our conversation was really interesting, too. The guys talked about how they couldn't imagine staying home with the kids. Shahir said something I found interesting. Apparently, Muslims have a saying that "You can find God at the foot of a mother." It's a reference to the nurturing, from conception on, that a mother provides to a child. It's an image of the love of God towards people. What a lovely, provocative image.