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A New Family My family is 3,000 miles away, we don't often call or write. At least, my birth sisters and brother. However, I can tell you about some great people that have 'adopted' me. :) I have a growing 'new family', with some very special people in it. These are people I have met on the 'net, and my brother I was lucky enough to visit in India. (It was a trip I needed in my life. After Eric's death, a physical injury, and financial disasters, I really needed this trip - halfway around the world. So I went.) Naushad was a friend I had chatted with, I don't think I had even seen his picture before this? (Brother, do you remember?) I went to visit a special Hindu friend, his support helped me through some hard days. Naushad came to visit me in Bangalore, and since then he has become a special brother to me. Naushad is simply one of the greatest men I have had the pleasure to know. His faith is Muslim, his home country, India. He currently works in UAE. He asked me to look over a resume for work, and --- this man is smart, too! :) Our lives have been about as different as night and day, but on some level, we think and care the same. I am honored to be called his sister. What differences? Aside from he's a single, dark man, raised in a hot climate, with a stable, extended family and strong religious upbringing, has never seen snow, never smoked or drank - and I am a bit lighter in color, left-handed, from Minnesota, always known winter cold; my family was scattered at an early age, I grew my own 'faith' of sorts, I have in the past both drank and smoked, a few bad relationships, children, and divorce.... Like my cyberson said, my brother and I could be twins! :) And aside from these little differences, we so much alike. My daughter now calls him 'Uncle'... if he is my brother, this makes sense. He laughed when he heard this. If he is worried about me, he calls to check on me. (How great is that?) We share emails and websites, and he knows 'how odd a sister' he has now... he knows me well. I would trust him any time, anywhere, with anything. And he has supported me in the best ways any brother could. This is also true of me cyberson.... We met on the 'net, this young man from Turkey. Volkan is also Muslim, and has a heart as big as any I have known. He is great. Somehow, I became 'cybermom' to him, I think he was joking one night. Now, I am his c-mom, and he is my c-son. He is studying civil engineering and says one day he wishes to build me a house. :) He is both a friend and a son to me - I think maybe while he was living away from home for school, he liked having someone telling him 'to get to bed' - or 'simdi yataga git'. He also plays guitar - wonderful - and has played songs to send me. We have chatted long hours about everything in life, from chocolate to parenting, life and religion, war and fear, people and places. Recently Volkan sent me a cloth painting from his mom... amazing people, and I respect his parents from the son they have produced. With him too, we seem to know each other extremely well. If one of us is upset, within the first few words the other one knows it and begins asking questions to help. And he chats with my granddaughter, they understand each other getting hurt; the last time he was hurt, he was wrestling with a friend.... kids! :) Now a friend in Egypt has begun calling me sister.... and another young man in Turkey calls me c-mom. This young man I am more worried about, life at times has not been so stable for him. I said I would pray for him when he was hurting and angry with life; he was surprised and some touched. But I ask you... if a young man is hurting and angry and thinking of going out for a few drinks - but someone far away cares and calls him 'son' , and talks to him, and sends a prayer and guardian angel to watch over him, and asks him to walk off some tension first.... Just knowing someone cares can make a difference. Truth, he is a tougher cyberson than Volkan for a c-mom, I hope in some way I am able to help. Well - all I am doing is passing on what I receive, the caring and love of Naushad and Volkan. We have a common thread linking us all, from India to Turkey to Egypt to America. None of us wish for war on anyone, and we all believe children especially should be protected everywhere. We all believe in individual respect, and we are all concerned with the military actions in the world, from Israel, Palestine, Iraq, India, America. And we believe we are all one family on this earth. God willing, one day I wish to visit in person with my new family. C-son Volkan said he would cook dinner for me, he brags about his cooking abilities. :) And his family extended a welcome if I get the chance to visit. This too, I know of my brother - I am always welcome to visit. Of course, if he gets a chance to visit here, we will drive him crazy - 'organized chaos' is the household norm. He knows me, and knows my life is a lot like Bangalore traffic, usually crowded without any perceivable rules, full of variety, but somehow it works? In a noisy, chaotic way, of course. And he is so stable and calm... you see, we are much alike. :)
Brother Naushad and C-son Volkan. |
