A few years ago I met the mot extraordinary Lebanese woman named Diana. She was living with my in-laws while completing her Master’s Degree in Counseling. I think she may have secretly been an angel sent straight from heaven; she taught me about Lebanese food and fed it to us in copious amounts, and she consoled our family as we helplessly waited day after day at the hospital, my father-in-law dealing with a devastating illness that nearly claimed his life.
I relished the time we spent chatting on the sofa for so many reasons, but I found it especially interesting to discuss our different worldviews and the cultural nuances that shaped us both as young, independent, determined woman. For instance, when I hear a rumble of thunder, I think of the spectacular storms that I grew up with in Texas. Diana wonders where the bombs are falling.