Over the weekend Marin and I were enjoying a quiet breakfast. She had this peaceful, confortable, satisfied expression on her face. I asked her what she was thinking about.
Marin: I can't believe this is really my house.
Me: What do you mean?
Marin: I just can't believe it.
Me: I still don't know what you mean.
Marin: It is so different from my house in Ethiopia.
Me: Tell me about your house in Ethiopia
Marin: It was like a three little pigs house made from pieces of wood and grass and leaves
Me: What else do you remember?
Marin: It had a hole for a door. Not a door that you can close or lock. Just a hole in the wall that you can walk through. And it had windows. Not with glass or curtains, but a hole in the wall so the air and the light can come in.
Me: Do you remember anything else?
Marin: It was pretty tall inside. I could not reach the ceiling. Sometimes it was really quiet and peaceful. Other times it was really noisy, like when the chickens and the goats wanted to come inside.
Me: Do you remember anything else?
Marin: I remember the smell. Our house today always smells clean like the stuff under the sink. My other house smelled like outside. Mostly dusty and like grass, and sometimes like smoke if the Mamas were cooking.
Me: Do you miss your other house?
Marin: No. I like this house. But I hope I can see my other house again some day.
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4 comments:
Your kids tend to remember all the negative stuff about their birth place. Do you ever encourage them to appreciate their heritage? You know, Ethiopians have a lot to be proud of.
She's a thoughtful kid.
I didn't necessarily read this as "negative stuff" like YT did. I read it as an acknowledgment of a different life.
I imagine it's a lot for a person to process.
YT. We do expose them to the positive side of their heritage. For example, last month they had dinner with a world champion Eth distance runner. This weekend their caucasian cousins will be baptised while holding a bronze coptic cross from Lalibela. We often cook with bebere. We present our collection of Eth art, music, fabrics, and jewelry to the primary school every school year. Our children were once famished orphans. They have not forgotten. We cannot change their facts or their memories.
I love this girl...you both are doing an amazing job with the girls. We are so lucky to have them in our family!
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