My Lebanon
Anyone who knows me can recognize me from my American accent a mile away. This always brings people to ask me where it is I'm from. When I tell them I'm a Lebanese who grew up in the US, I can promise you the very next question is always " Why on Earth would you ever come back here when you can live in the US?"
Years ago I did not have the answer to their question nor did I even understand what truly brought me back to live in Beirut after spending the last thirty years of my life abroad. Needless to say, after more than seven years of living here I'm now closer to a clearer answer. Reality is, the family that I was born into does not live here and neither does my husband for that matter. So what is it that has made me not only move back but also managed to fall in love with my country?
Trust me, I have heard loads of arguments of why we should not live here, whether it be related to political, financial, or environmental reasons. I will not in any way pretend that these issues are not of extreme importance, but please allow the American raised Lebanese in me to voice my humble opinion.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a country that provided me with a stable life, a wonderful education and not to mention an array of opportunities to grow in so many ways. The exposure I was fortunate enough to have that enabled me to acquire so much knowledge and diversity. I remember when we were young and still living at home, my father made every effort to make sure we loved Lebanon. He spoke of the beautiful weather, our charming coast and our stunning mountains. He admired everything there was about this country but nothing he ever said made sense to me because like any American child, I knew that I could go to Colorado and have the best slopes, go to Miami and experience the best beaches and as for weather, well the sky is the limit with opportunities in the US.
It was not until just a few years ago, when moving to Lebanon was one of my few options in order to sustain a normal family life for my children, that I realized that falling in love with my country would be so easy. You see, it's all about roots! When I speak of roots, I recall a quote I once read;
"Like branches on a tree we all grow in different directions,
but our roots are what keep us together"
When you grow up with roots, you grow up with a place to really call home. Roots are what you need when things fall apart. They are your resilience and your strengths. Roots are what remind you of who you are and where you have been.
I admire when I see people walk through their villages and speak to everyone that passes by. I admire the Lebanese people and their ability to stand in solitude in numerous ways when faced with a crisis. What Lebanon provides me and my family with, no other country can, simply because everyone around me shares the same common roots.
When I tell people this, Im often accused of being too sentimental and their immediate response is " roots will not get me a job!” Unfortunately I have to agree with them, however growing up as a foreigner makes you crave being home. So this is me telling you that while we share our country and together strive to make it a better place, we should never forget that we are all in it for the same reason.
Being home is something we take for granted until we realize the importance of it. A sense of belonging is something everyone should be able to have. In order to feel like we belong somewhere, we must align with the people around us and their values. This is something the Lebanese people are fortunate enough to have.
So as we scroll down social media and read numerous articles attacking our country, let us for a moment look at the bright side and remember that this country has given us more than we seem to remember. Whether it be the friendships, the family values, and most of all the ability to always come back and feel at home despite how long we have been gone for.
