I am a planner. I already had a post written for today earlier this week and had scheduled it for today. Yet here I am, on a Friday morning looking at my son as he plays on his blanket after a bath while penning a new post. As this ‘work’ week is drawing to a close I realized that my original post, as funny as I found it, was not the post I needed to publish. This week has been one of up and downs for me, with my finally deciding to write down my son’s birth story and the daily updates of the genocide happening in the Middle East.

I am a person who contemplates life and as such I know I tend to be emotional and passionate about certain things, although I tend to keep those emotions and passions to myself. I felt like a weight had been lifted when I wrote down my feelings and the event of my son’s birth and the days and week following it. Despite my feelings of frustration, disappointment and exhaustion from those days, I know I am lucky. I am fortunate. I am privileged. I am one of the lucky ones because despite my health complications, I live in a place that is not being torn apart by war. I am privileged because I had access to doctors and medicine and electricity that is working at all times.  My life has never been in danger, nor that of my son. This makes my frustration melt away because I know I am fortunate to be able to even complain about it.

I have friends that are from Iraq and live here in Arkansas. I first met them in 2011 in one of my first PhD classes. Over the years we have become close. I am lucky to call them friends. They are amazing parents with amazing children. They come from a place that has been in war for decades. Their once prosperous country is in ruins. Not only have they done an amazing job of rising their children to not hate anyone or want to seek revenge, they are teaching them to love and embrace others different from themselves.

I would hate to think how differently I would be if I lived through war. How different my perspective on life would be let alone on parenting. I am humbled by my friends. I am reminded that I am one of the lucky ones, not by their teaching me directly, but by knowing their story and by the reminder that there are children and families struggling everyday in areas around the world. Please keep in your thoughts all those families struggling to survive and may you count your blessings knowing you will never be in their shoes.

If anyone knows of a way to assist those who are in need of help, who are struggling, please help them in any way you can. I know I am trying to find a way to help those around me and those who are far away. It shouldn’t matter how you choose to help, be it through a donation, a kind word, anything and everything is needed. Today, I set myself to be a better person and I can thank life for reminding me to let go of things and emotions that are not worth holding onto. I am privileged and so are you.

~ Aixaster