Have you ever wondered how some people move through life’s transitions with flying colors while others struggle to move forward?
Transitions are accompanied with change and change my dear audience is not very pleasant, change take us out of our comfort zone and into a land of unknown.
Let me tell you a story, story of a young girl about 9 or 10 growing up as youngest of six girls during Iran revolution of 1979.
It was an ordinary school day of although something didn’t feel right. There was smoke in the air and a lot of noise and commotion form the other side of school’s brick walls. All throughout the day, school officials were pacing back and forth from the administration building, gathering and whispering, shaking their heads and looking concerned.
At dismissal time, her oldest sister was waiting at the gate grabbing and holding her hand very tight telling her to walk fast because they needed to be home. That was very odd, she had always walked to and from school. What was so different on this day?
“what’s going on?” she asked and instead of an answer she felt her hand squeezed more firmly.
“But I always go to baba joon’s store after school” She whispered unhappily
“Not today, walk faster dear. We need to be home) Said the sister
From the corner of her eyes she could see smoke coming from the direction of her father’s bookstore and library and as they got closer, she could see people running with handful of books passing by them from every direction. By the point, the smoke was thick and it was difficult to breath.
Knowing in her heart something bad had happened, this time she squeezed her sister’s hand and held on to it as if her life depended on it. She kept saying quietly to herself “it’s all going to be ok, it’s going to be ok” all the way home.
Back at home, her family had gathered and her grandparents were sitting with her mom who was crying. The TV was on and the footage was of a people on the streets, holding signs and shouting.
She threw herself into her mother’s arms and began sobbing.
Ladies and gentlemen, that was my fist experience with transitions and change. From that day on my peaceful existence was interrupted with violent demonstrations, curfews, moves and new schools.
On that day my father’s bookstore and library was set on fire and destroyed to ashes. He was out of town covering a story as a journalist and reporter for our town’s news station.
Life during the revolution and War with Iraq meant constant change and uncertainty. Two topics I learned as a young age to make peace with.
