Be Brave!

 

Every family has platitudes or mantras that become core to the people we are. They are repeated over and over until it is felt and experienced in everything that we do. Lady Hiva's family they included, "Everyone is family" and "If you see something that needs to be done, do it. Don't leave it for someone else." Some that were included in my childhood were " If a job is worth doing, it is worth doing well" and "Remember who you are." 

Lady Hiva and I have used those and have created our own as well. Some of those are, "It is ok to be beautiful/handsome, but it is more important to be kind." I find myself often repeating a more direct version of the 'hard work' mantra by saying "I am not raising lazy people!" But there is on that I have been thinking of quite a bit this week and that is "Be Brave." For our family the definition of brave is 'when you are nervous or scared, but you keep going/doing; you don't give up."  

This week I have been inspired by so many brave people. This includes the three amazing people I live with. I have watched during swimming lessons in awe as both of them have overcome new feats. Lucky Dragon is truly a beautiful swimmer. He glides through the water with ease. At one point his swim coach had him swim the length of the pool doing back stroke with a cup of water on his forehead and he had to not spill it. As I said, hard, but he conquered= Brave amazing-ness! I have also seen Koala Bear jump into the deep end of the pool and swim the length of it without hesitation. She was fearful, but she did not stop and she kept going. 

These two have also shown bravery in so many ways. Lucky Dragon went to three different schools in two different countries this year. Koala Bear went to two. They were always sad to leave their friends and we all shared tears together for the change. But with bravery they made new friends, they learned new things, and they loved the differences. I have watched them try new foods from different cultures and countries. From Indian to Ethiopian. I was bursting with gratitude when we went to eat at a family's home and the mum was so excited that our two Muggles were willing to try all of the food. Lucky dragon was also willing to say the prayer in front of the whole family when nobody else was willing to. 

I have seen Lady Hiva move her family and be a pillar of strength during uncertainty. I have seen her do public speaking despite her inner-self doubt. She also is reaching out and trying new challenges for work and career. Completely unsure of the result and what expectations will be in the future, she continues forward--what an amazing example she is. 

I get tears when I think about one of my aunts who is now facing a reality of widowhood after the unexpected passing of my uncle this week. When I texted her, while they were still in the hospital, I was not expecting a reply, but she responded with her own show of brave and instead of expressing the grief and shock she must be experiencing, she expressed love for me from both her and my uncle.

Lastly, I want to talk about a situation at work this week that I have reflected on several times since it happened. I do not talk about work very much in a public setting, but I do want to share this one experience. I had a college age young man come to talk with me. He was wanting to go to the United States for school. He was nervous, as many are when they come to talk. It is an imposing situation that is potentially life changing. I quickly realized that he had a stutter. It gave me pause. My heart went out to him as he struggled to give each answer. I started to get emotional as I saw him tear up a bit in frustration at his own weakness. But instead of weakness,  what I saw was strength. I saw a man facing his fears. A man facing his doubts, his weaknesses, and his insecurities. But he was brave and determined. At one point I tried to encourage him and I said, "take a deep breath, you are doing great!" Little did he know that the deep breath was as much for me to collect my emotions as it was for him. 

He was brave. And I am a better person because of it.  I wish that it was a different situation when I met him. I would have loved to sit down with him and learn more about his situation, more of what drives him to be brave and face his demons. 

Like all of these people I have seen be brave this week, it makes me want to stand up a little taller, to face my demons a little stronger, to show more love and empathy to others who are facing their demons too. 

So, be brave. Challenge yourself. Recognize the reality of your situation, but don't let it take over, face it to overcome. There is always someone cheering you on, even people you do not realize. 

Meet Pedro Patel--the Gujarati Street Dog

 

One of the days of the trip we walked through the old town of Vadodara. While we were walking through the din and chaos of the markets, we had a street dog decide to walk with us. He stayed with us the whole time and we named him, Pedro Patel. He changed our lives--all of us. But I will tell you more about that later. 

We started out the day exploring ancient temples and mosques that dated back to the 8th century. To say that they were breath-taking is an understatement. Each one was impeccably cared for and restored. It is all about the details...these photos don't really do it justice! These buildings were amazing. 

Can you see Lucky Dragon!? 

We had to walk through villages and trek through muddy swamp trails to get to several of the temples, but it was still amazing! We saw things off the beaten trails and it was amazing. I loved stopping to smile and talk to the people passed. We did not understand each other's languages, but a warm smile communicates beyond barriers. They introduced me to their animals, their children, and their work. It was the best part of the experience! 

The ancient cistern. 

This farmer let me stop and watch him hook up his plow to his two Brahma bulls. It was cool to see him talk to them by name and watch them respond in kind. He was so happy to see me take a photo of him and when I let him see it, his eyes lit up. 

These women stopped and asked if I could take their photo. They giggled like little teenagers when I showed them the result. 

Someone caught a photo of me talking to them

I tried to capture life in the village as we walked through... photos really don't do it justice. People would wave and laugh as the odd white guy in shorts a pink shirt and a fedora waved to them. We had fun! 

We stopped to eat some delicious food (of course) and then went to walk around old town Vadodara. It was chaotic and full of smells and textures and sounds. I LOVED IT! It is overwhelming if you think about it, but it is also amazing. When you stop worrying about the honking and that a car may hit you, you can see all of the people around working their trade and the goats and monkeys peaking at us as we pass. 

Then we met Pedro. Somewhere along the trip a street dog complete with a missing half of a left ear, decided to adopt us. He walked with us the whole way. If we stopped at a store, we would stop too. If we went into a market, he would follow. None of us had fed him, and we definitely did not pet him. (although we wall wanted to)..but he stayed with us. It was endearing...for the most part. But as we walked down some back streets, Pedro for some reason brought all the dogs out! Soon we were being surrounded by dogs barking and growling. It was a bit unnerving. The whole group instinctively surrounded Lady Hiva and the two Muggles. We stood back to back as if in battled and used our umbrellas to keep the growling dogs at bay. 

It caused such a ruckus that it not only brought all the dogs, but also the people to see what was happening. Some laughed (I am sure it looked comical to see all the odd foreigners chased by street dogs)...others helped fend off the dogs with their sticks etc. Through it all, Pedro was with us. 

I loved seeing all the flowers and the temples. I had so many generous people give me some of their flowers. haha! 

Spikes to keep dogs off the car!

Pedro did not leave Koala Bear very far. 

Look how big this mango is!!

She was so happy to have Pedro around...even if all the other dogs hated him.Maybe that made us all love him even more. 

As we drove away, Pedro followed us. He looked so sad and lost. In the course of an hour...one with his constant companionship and us defending us and him from all the other dogs, we all loved him. We talked about him a lot. Koala Bear said she prayed for him that he would be safe from all the other dogs. She got a bit teary eyed as she talked about him. He changed our lives. 

Lucky Dragon drew a picture of him. 

Koala Bear was given flowers too...it was like she was prom queen!