Earth Hour

My friends and I observed the Earth Hour last night in a party. An Iranian friend of mine found the beginning of Spring, the Persian New Year, Easter, St. Patrick's day, etc. good excuses to host a party for his friends of many nations. The host asked me to prepare a toast in appreciation of mother Earth few hours before the party. So, I searched for poems and quotations about Earth among my favorite poets. I thought I would emphasize we only have one home planet, one Earth. Even if we find life in other planets, as we are actively searching to do so, it would take decades before we understand those environments, learn how to adapt and live there, let alone build civilizations. I decided to close with a verse from a poem of Robert Frost:

"Earth's the right place for love: I don't know where it's likely to go better".

Many seemed to like it! I was glad, my job was done. Later, one of the guests asked me if I read and like Robert Frost's writings. I said I have read some of them and like them. Then, he recited this beautiful poem from him to me:

"The rose is a rose,
And was always a rose.
But now the theory goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, of course, are a rose
But were always a rose."

It was a nice night to remember.

One Moment

Thousands of miles farther
Many fortunes later
I have arrived
For that one gaze
For that one smile
For that one moment with you

Passive Aggressiveness

Something is bothering you:
What a friend said,
What a colleague did,
How an organization is being run.

You keep your silence.
What is the point after all?
Nothing is going to change,
You rather believe.
You keep getting hurt.
You build up anger within yourself,
More and more everyday.

What if you speak up?
What would you lose if no one hears you out?
What if someone does?
What if something changes?
What if you learn you were wrong?
Maybe you had no reason to be mad to begin with!
Maybe you learn something you did not know!

You accept the status quo.
You accept the behavior you do not like.
You do not give others an opportunity to explain, to improve, to gain your trust.
You allow yourself to blame others for your unhappiness.
After all,
If others resolve the issue,
Who else would you have to blame?
So, you keep quiet.
You resist change.
You resist being proven wrong.
You protect yourself.
You hide behind others.

Speak up gently sometimes.
Ask questions.
Declare your feelings.
Declare your thoughts.
Give others the benefit of the doubt.
You may see more clearly.
You may live happier.

Risk

I faced my fears
Through a very simple task
Which was a huge deal for me

I took a risk
I placed myself in a vulnerable situation
Once again, against all odds

Now I am relieved
I am glad I faced my fears
A small step for mankind
A giant leap for my kind!

Passion

I have found a few more good friends.
The ones that in a half-an-hour conversation.
Know you better than those who have been in your life for years.
They listen to you.
They look deep into your eyes.
They care about you.

They are passionate about life.
They create their own desired jobs.
They aim high, and
Dream big.

They cannot wait to start their days.
They jump out of the bed every morning
To Save Humanity
One person at a time.

They do not laugh at your dreams.
They do not discourage you from perusing them.
In fact, they believe in you more than you do in yourself.
They do not like excuses, scapegoats, and blames.
They believe when there is a will, there is a way.
They keep pushing boundaries.
They keep moving forward.
They sure can make their ideas reality.
One way or another.
They expect nothing less from you.

I am blessed to be in their presence.
They energize me.
They make me happy.
They give me hope.
They change my life for the better.

Natalie

When she had just learned how to walk,
She would walk with her mom towards a lake close by,
To feed the ducks.
Once I took her to give her mom a break.
The ducks were taller than her.
They were so hungry and aggressive,
I was frightened they would bite off her little fingers.
She was not scared at all.
I picked her up anyways.

Once I had received some daffodils.
I wanted to teach her this is the meaning of my name.
"See this flower?
This is the meaning of my name in Farsi".
She leaned forward to smell the flowers.
Then she came towards me and smelled me.
"You do not smell the same!"
I could not stop laughing and hugging her.

She got older.
She even has an e-mail address.
She was so happy having received an e-mail from me:
"You are my best friend", she said.
I never felt better being someone's best friend.

Now she wants to go to places with me.
"When can we go to your work again?"
Natalie asked me last week.
"I am not sure honey.
Whenever we have an event,
I will let you know".
She got sad for having to wait.
"There is a lot to do!
We can visit museums.
There are plenty here".
I wanted to comfort her.
"I want to go to the aerospace museum,
Next week, with you!"
"I am out of town next week.
We can go some other time."
I said apologetically.
"You want to go to aerospace museum? I will take you.", her dad said.
I was so happy and relieved.
"No, I want to go with her", she insisted.
"Why? Go with your dad, it will be fun." I was confused.
"Because you are smarter!"
We all laughed.

I always envied her free spirit and courage.

Religion

Little Victoria was sick last night.
Her nose was running, and
She was sniffing it up.

I was repeating my usual preach:
"You should not suck your thumb so much,
or make sure you wash your hand so that
you do not put germs in your mouth".

She was looking at me strangely,
As if she wanted to say,
What are you talking about?
This is not the way.
She knew better:
"Last week we were blessed at church so that we do not get sick.
It did not work!"
What can she do?