Just Like Me - Open letter to my Unknown Iranian Friend

Hi!

My name is Judit. You don't know me, but that should not be a problem. I know you.

• I know, that you wake up in the morning, getting ready to tackle the day, grabbing that cup of coffee, just like me.
  
• I know, that you worry how you are going to make it on time in that horrendous traffic, just like me.
  
• I know, that you may have a challenging day ahead at work, just like me.
   
• I know, you want to grab a delicious lunch and enjoy some down time away from work, just like me.
  
• I know, you will get annoyed if your computer crashes, just like me.
  
• I know, you are planning your weekend to be with your friends and family, just like me.
  
• I know, you love the World Cup, just like me.
  
• I know, you enjoy your movies, just like me.
  
• I know, you laugh at a good joke, just like me.
  
• I know, you marvel about nature's beauty, just like me.
  
• I know, you love taking trips, just like me.
  
• I know, you love to sing, just like me.
  
• I know, you can't wait to eat a great home-cooked meal, just like me.
  
• I know you love, just like me.
  
• I know deep down, you don't hate me, you don't want to kill me, neither do I.
  
• I know you respect your culture that has spanned over 6 millennium, just like me.
  
• I just hope, that one day I can show my home to you and you will do the same. 

My name is Judit.  You don't know me, but I do.

Arrivals

Since I was a child I have loved airports. To me, airports represented freedom in a pure form. Growing up in Hungary in the 70s and 80s, most of us could only dream about getting on a plane and see the world. The closest to be around a plane was to go to the airport and watch them take off.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I can say, I have been lucky to be at many airports around the world. I love the organized chaos, the streaming flow of people, even the security checks. The airport is a reflection of the world.

I like to observe, take in the non verbal information people give out. There are distinct differences if you are at arrivals or departures. I was picking up my Mom couple of months ago, and while I had to wait for her over an hour, I had the chance to study the people around me.

It was obvious, Arrivals are a happy place to be. You could feel the anticipation, the excitement. Little kids were anxiously awaiting the arrival of grandparents whom they may have never met before. Wives waiting for husbands, and parents waiting for their adult children to come home at last. Loved the hugging scenes, the flowers and balloons, the pure joy I saw on people's faces. I was no exception, when I saw my Mom I ran and hugged her tight.

Arrivals is a re-unification place, where miracles happen. So, next time you go to the airport; just look around you and see the smiles, the tears and hugs.

If you have a great Arrivals story, please share it with me!

The summer that wasn't

I don't know what happened, must have been the planets. Something was going down in the Summer of 2014. If I say, this summer was one of the most supercharged, violent, unstable and unpredictable summers, many will agree with me.

Not even the FIFA World Cup could lessen tensions around the globe. The tally of Summer 2014 is quite disheartening. Passenger plane shot down over Europe in peace time, Iron Dome in action daily in Israel, human shields formed in the name of ideology,  ISIS beheading children and women on an ongoing bases, civil unrest in Ferguson, and to top it off Ebola is no longer confined to one country only.

It seems, this summer was not a carefree one. It also seems we got a preview what the battle between Good and Evil will look like. I know, I know the world has never been a quite place, but somehow this summer magnified it. Good thing it went by so fast, the summer that wasn't.

 

Mother's Day

I am not a fan of having one dedicated day a year to celebrate something significant. I do understand however, the symbolism of those days. One very important and dear to my heart celebration is coming up this Sunday, Mothers's Day.

We all know that mothers ought to be celebrated every day 24/7. Motherhood is the toughest job a woman can hold. Motherhood is also the most selfish position one can imagine. Becoming or not becoming a mom is a woman's prerogative. Once we do decide to plunge into it, nobody can stop us (sorry guys, not even you).

Most people have a preconceived notion what a mother should be, but as in all things in life, mothers come in different shapes, sizes  and views. We are not made by one mold, we are truly unique. The rainbow of mothers stretch from the iconic selfless ones to those who had the courage and heroism to give their children a better life by giving them up. In my eyes, mothers are superheroes. Motherhood is also bringing out our deepest insecurities and fears. There is no manual on how to be a good Mom, we are all doing our best and hope at the end of the day we did manage to give something precious and long lasting to our children.

Perfection, although desirable, is non existent. It is a waste of time to chase after an ideal, manufactured out of myth, fed by our own guilt. Motherhood is not a competition, it is an opportunity  given to ourselves to create something amazing and exciting. 

To my fellow mothers, no matter what situation you are in, you are a good Mom!!!! Don't ever forget that!

Happy Mother's Day!

  

The 4 AM test

Sometimes I feel like I am a spider sitting in the middle of my web spun of cyber connections. I am connected, spend quite considerable time on social networks and have the urge to post at least once daily. I do not want to think of myself as a cyberspace junkie, but take my internet away and I might have withdrawal symptoms.

Connections are important, we are not meant to live in a vacuum or a deserted island. Information comes through those connections like swarming bees. Sometimes, you don't even know where to look first. You click on the "accept" button and your cyber-world has grown again. It is like the universe, infinitely expanding  into the unknown. Some of us like to "collect" connections and are in a quasi competition (no one knows against whom) to acquire an incredible amount of "friends".   I am pretty sure a new field of psychology/psychiatry will evolve (if haven't already) dealing and treating cyber disorders.

Coming back to "friends", I have just checked and  I have over 700 in my slice of the cyber universe. It made me wonder,  how many would pass the 4 AM test? Oh yes, my proverbial 4 AM test. What is the 4 AM test? It is simple; who can I call at 4 AM knowing he/she will without hesitation, come to my aid?

To tell you the truth, the numbers are not looking good, but on the bright side I do have a handful of them. So, look at your FB page or LinkedIn or any other social network site and ask, out of all those, who will pass the 4 AM test. Remember, even if only one does, you made it!

Happy connecting!

Passover 2014 ( If I had a Dyson - Update)

A little over a year ago, I started my journey in blogland. My very first post was about the dream of having a Dyson and clean everything out.  A year later, I am very happy to say, I do have a Dyson; and yes it is living up to its reputation.

In less than 2 weeks, the Jewish world once again will start its cleaning frenzy. Passover is upon us yet again. The holiday is a constant reminder of our work in progress. Each year we vow, that we will get rid of the things and yes, people, that are hindering us. Each year, we evaluate what we have achieved in that department; and each year we realize the work has far been over.

Passover is a great time to ponder about freedom. The very core of this celebration is about freedom individual or otherwise. Each and every one of us defines freedom in a unique way. Freedom is precious but comes with great responsibility as well.

Moses knew this, Moses realized what a tremendous work lay ahead of him. How do you wake an entire nation up, a nation that lost its self worth, and show them the way out of slavery? What kind of person do you have to be, to dare to go ahead?

We could all be Moses, and have the capacity to deliver ourselves from bondage. What do you want to be free from? If you know the answer, the path towards freedom can be mapped out easily.

Chag Sameach!

Noah

We all love stories;  throw into the mix action, gore, revenge emotions and some disaster elements, you'll sure have a winner. This time, Hollywood reached out  to Genesis chapters 6-9. Religious or not; believer or not we are fascinated by those stories played out in a time where everything could have been possible.

The story belongs to Noah. Hearing the name many things come to mind like; Flood, Animals, Ark, Dove , Olive branch and Rainbow. Children love the tale of Noah rescuing all those animals. We do tend to simplify it as world gone bad, time for destruction, last minute save by a stubborn guy called Noah.

However, in this action packed movie we may overlook one thing; Noah himself. Forget about the grand plan of G-d cleansing the earth from his creation (obviously the prototype did not turn out too well), building a vessel that can hold thousands and thousands of species, executing the great engineering undertaking of all times. Forget all about that and focus on the Man.

How scary it might have been for him, to uproot his family, to step out of his comfort zone, to face all those people thinking he was crazy. How lonely he might have felt, how determined he must have been to carefully plan each step of this tremendous scheme. Noah had to confront himself just as much as he did others. How many times did he question the sanity of all this? Could he count on his family at all? Would he have the strength to go through it?

How do you deal with the notion of being chosen to live and witness the destruction of others? Would that make you feel humble or superior? How do you reconcile your free will with following a Power you have never seen? It is a lot to take in on any day, just imagine on a day  when the World comes to an end.

Was Noah a happy man? I don't think so. Was he hopeful? Absolutely! Did he deliver? By judging the last 100 years or so, I am in doubt. Is it time for another Flood? The optimist in me says; no, we can still work things out.

What do you say?