\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I can usually spot negative and hate speech coming from one group against another by the signature word they<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 \u201cThey<\/em><\/strong> don\u2019t belong here.\u201d \u201cThey<\/em><\/strong> do things differently.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWhy do they<\/em><\/strong> ________ like that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For Spring Break my Greek Immigrant parents came from sunny Colorado to visit my home in soggy Dearborn.\u00a0 They did all the fun spoiling that any Yiayia and Papou would do with their grandkids.\u00a0 Amidst all the excitement, I invited my parents to come with me to spend some time with Zuzu, my Kurdish-Syrian New American<\/strong> friend.\u00a0 I had met her last October, at a free community event sponsored by Sabeel Media<\/strong> at the Dearborn Heights library, discussing the responsibility of the media to share the experiences and needs of refugees.\u00a0 That event inspired me to \u201cscooch over,\u201d and make a little room in my life for the refugee crisis that faces us all as human beings.\u00a0 I am also regularly challenged by the command of Jesus the Messiah to love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength; and to love my neighbors as myself<\/em>.\u00a0 I have been visiting with Zuzu weekly for the last six months and she has taught me so much about friendship and hardship and Arabic and Kurdish.\u00a0 In turn, I have taught her about American systems, and phone systems, and English words.\u00a0 She calls me her teacher, but I call her my friend.\u00a0 Through it all we have become tied to each other.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThere is so much political rhetoric for and against the topic of refugees, but to actually sit and sip tea with a neighbor who happens to be one seemed like a novel idea.\u201d\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n My parents were eager to meet Zuzu and her family.\u00a0 There is so much political rhetoric for and against the topic of refugees, but to actually sit and sip tea with a neighbor who happens to fit that category seemed like an interesting and novel idea.\u00a0 Before our visit, I prepped my parents on who to shake hands with or not shake hands with, where to put shoes, and how to sit on low couches\u2014even with my dad\u2019s recently replaced knees.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kids<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Zuzu warmly opened her modest upper flat to my parents and my three kids on a rainy March afternoon.\u00a0 We sipped little cups of rich black tea with as much sugar as my kids wanted.\u00a0 We touched on topics of politics, dictators, and dialects as we observed Kurdish television rattling on in the background.\u00a0 We shared a lot in common.\u00a0 Our little visit brought back some nostalgic memories for my mom, of the way visits used to be for her as a child, when people shared simple but special moments together in each other\u2019s homes.\u00a0 The TV rattling news in the background was normal for my dad\u2014only his gets all the best Greek stations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was a pause in our conversation, which gave Zuzu a moment to form a question in English.\u00a0 She asked my father if he left Greece because he was a refugee.\u00a0 He shook his head \u201cNo,\u201d but then proceeded to explain in short sentences that his Greek village was ravaged in World War II, and that his parents were killed.\u00a0 Years later, he immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life.\u00a0 The look on Zuzu\u2019s face was full of compassion and understanding as she responded to the look of great loss on my dad\u2019s face.\u00a0 Different generations.\u00a0 Different countries.\u00a0 Different wars.\u00a0 Different dictators.\u00a0 But for a moment, Zuzu and my dad were ushered into the same horrible club of loss, tragedy and destruction by war.\u00a0 It\u2019s a large club that no one wants to join, but many are forced into its membership.\u00a0 As I sat and observed this unintended \u201cwe\u201d moment between my father and Zuzu, I said a silent prayer for her young children.\u00a0 I am a product of my dad\u2019s hope for a better life in a new land.\u00a0 Maybe our family gives Zuzu perspective on what things might look like for her young children as they grow up to call this new land their home.\u00a0 At least for now.\u00a0 I know deep down, Zuzu really hopes to take her children back to her home country of Syria in better times, Inshallah, God-willing<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n MomDad<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n As we said our good-byes, I thanked God for this incredible moment to share with my family and my neighbor.\u00a0 We<\/em><\/strong> are blessed.\u00a0 We<\/em><\/strong> enjoyed each other\u2019s company.\u00a0 Our human hearts beat the same, and by unintended circumstances, we<\/em><\/strong> had more in common than we imagined.\u00a0 We<\/em><\/strong>, the people, who long for justice and tranquility in a more perfect Union.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe<\/em><\/strong> had more in common than we imagined.\u00a0 We, the people, who long for justice and tranquility in a more perfect Union.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/yemeniamerican.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/05\/Kids-300x266.jpeg\")
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