shokufeh is…home

Dear American,

Did you really think things through with this new policy of yours? Fifteen dollars to check one bag, in one direction? So, if I’m going anywhere and need anything more than a change of clothes, I am going to have to:

• pay an additional $30 just to get my things to my destination and back again, or
• attempt to carry on board a just-at-the-cutoff-size bag, making an already crowded plane even more crowded.

How does it work? First seated, first dibs on the overhead bin space? Are there any exclusions to having a special coat with numerous pockets carrying all of my stuff? I’m picturing a plane that’s a little on the top-heavy side, with all of the passengers having carried on board the things they might have checked last month.

As it is, I often feel cheated when I’m on a flight:

• I’m small, so I don’t encroach into other people’s space, as they do into mine
• I usually check my bag, and if I whatever I carry on, I usually stow under the seat in front of me
• I weigh a good deal less than your average passenger (see first point), so where’s my extra baggage allowance?

And now, because I’m not as big and strong as others (and perhaps more considerate of our shared space), you’re going to charge me. I’m glad I have no reservations with you currently. I’m not sure I will until you change your policies, or every one else jumps on your bandwagon.

-shokufeh

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My baby turned two-and-a-half today!  How did this happen?  Wasn’t it just a few months ago that we were taking him to the pottery place to capture his 3-month footprint on a tile?

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Every once in a while, when I think about it, it pains me that my father left home at the age of 19 and has been back to Iran only once, soon after he and my mother were married, to introduce his wife to his family and country. That was more than 35 years ago. I can hardly imagine being away from my birthplace for 35 months, much less 35 years. But I would never want him to go back under current circumstances, because I’d be afraid that, as a Bahá’í, if he made it into the country, maybe he’d never make it out again.
For a window of time, from the later ’80s until a few years ago, it was possible to conceive that we would one day in the future have the chance to visit Iran, without concerns that our religion would prevent us from entering the country, or from leaving again. There were still Bahá’ís being arrested, tortured, or killed, solely for their beliefs and their refusal to convert to Islam. There was still property being confiscated and buildings and cemeteries being destroyed. There were still restrictions on earning a living, going to school, traveling, and even marrying. But, there was not such intense or widespread persecution of Bahá’ís as there was in the years immediately following the Revolution, partly in response to the outcry from other nations. So I thought that down the road, things would continue to improve. But now my window of hope has mostly closed, and what is left has shifted further into the future.
Earlier this year, I wrote to my Congressman, asking that he support Congressional resolution, H. Res. 1008, condemning the persecution of Bahá’ís in Iran. This was after an increase in mistreatment of Bahá’í children and a campaign to deprive older students of enrolling in universities. Today, much of my focus has been on the sad and concerning news that Bahá’í leaders in Iran were, yesterday, in the early morning hours, taken from their homes, and put in prison. And I can only hope and pray that the outcry of the world will waken the Iranian government to its wrongdoings.

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Dear MrMan,

Thank you for you. For your kisses, your battles, your calm, your snuggles. Thank you for wanting to touch my oofs, for scaring me with your dragon so that you can kiss away my fears, for “reading” to yourself, for wanting me to read to you, for kicking me to the point that I carry you out of my bed with your sobbing breaking my heart, for wanting to touch every bug you see, for requesting ponytails, for wearing the t-shirt you gave me this morning, for busting out in Spanish you learned from Diego, for admiring yourself in the mirror wearing an oversized Camelbak, for throwing a fit when we had to remove said Camelbak and coordinating hat, for scaring the bejeezus out of me by hiding in the clothes rack in the store, for staring so intently at the movie screen and then requesting another movie, for asking to snuggle in my arms, for always taking a bite of your second favorite food, for requesting mac and beans for tonight’s dinner, for always knowing that Whole Foods = cheese samples…. For all those little moments that make being your mother one of my greatest joys.

Lopes and snuggles,

Mee

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We have a page-a-day calendar at work that is full of household tips – how to deal with smells and scratches and lack of things. Mostly, it makes me laugh or roll my eyes. It should be called 300 uses for white vinegar and/or dryer sheets. Those other 65 days tell you things like,

“No spoon rest? When you’re cooking, put your spoon on a piece of bread. Then throw the bread away when you’re done.” Notice it didn’t say how to address the blob of glue the soggy bread has created on the stove. Or that a plate will suffice, instead of wasting food.

Or, “Most of the dirt in your house is tracked in from the surrounding area….” You think it’s going to follow that with a tip like take off your shoes when you come inside. But, no! It advises you to wash your porch and sidewalk.

Love it!

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For months, I’ve had moments when I wondered, “Where are those pants of mine?” or, “Where is that shirt of MrMan’s?”  I’d look in the drawers, look in the closet, look in the perpetually present laundry baskets of clean clothes, and then forget about it until the next time it crossed my mind.

I recently discovered that there was a huge suitcase, full of our clothes, sitting in our old room at my parents’ house.  After dinner at their house tonight (celebrating Cinco de Mayo… last night was at our house, for Quatro de Mayo… we do love us some celebrating), we brought home the suitcase.  It worked out well that it sat undiscovered for so long, as tonight MrMan had a poop situation that required a change of clothes.  So, we’ve busted into it already and I look forward to rediscovering other clothes for days to come.  It’s the little things.

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