Saturday, November 15, 2008

Encountering a divine accident


Lately I have been spending a lot more time than usual in Dubai. The reason for this is that I have developed some recurring ear pressure problems that make it increasingly difficult for me to be a frequent flyer (hence the less frequent blog posts: sorry).

During the time that I have been stuck here in the desert I have not only discovered the heart of Dubai but I have also lost my heart. In fact, I am 29 years old and I feel as though I am in love for the first time. All I know for sure is that I have never felt this way before.

Yes, I have had butterflies in my stomach and I have loved deeply. I have even experienced a kind of fairy tale complete with a castle in Edinburgh and the promise of our own one in the French countryside - but the perfect prince ended up being a toad after all.

This love, however, struck me down like a thunderbolt. The earth moved. Literally. On the 10th of September the tremors of an earthquake in Iran shook Dubai and I thought that I was losing my mind. For weeks I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep and I could hardly speak or breathe in his presence.

Two months later I am still filled with wonder. This is what it should feel like. Yet, in life’s characteristically ironic way, there is a catch. He is from a Muslim culture while I grew up in a Christian home. How could it be that we come from such different backgrounds but have grown towards the exact same place in body and mind?

Perhaps love is not supposed to be easy. While staying together may be a choice love itself is not. It is a force of nature like the sunrise, the tides and the phases of the moon. I understand this now for the first time.

I feel like I am part of something much bigger than just the two of us. Christians and Muslims have been known to kill each other for centuries and yet the only thing that is stronger than hate is love.

My journey has taken me past a thousand Middle Eastern mosques to the biggest and the smallest Buddhas in the world, to Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity and the Vatican City.

It has been a spiritually rich journey that guided me towards love - a love that, in its own humble way, may help to heal the world. What more could I have wished for?

9 comments:

Me said...

Sounds beautiful and I wish the two of you peace, love and happiness :)

@wordnomad said...

Thank you

Anonymous said...

lovely my friend I am so happy you are still so in love....love conquers all, even religion !!!
Love Kim.xxx

Anonymous said...

you are privileged to have found such love. treasure it

Anonymous said...

When it's love, it doesn't matter what someone's background is, you will always find a way to make your future work together. I just saw that movie Twilight where the girl fell in love with a vampire. Love can not always be ideal. I believe in it and I like to read stories like yours because it feeds my hope of finding it for myself one day. From a fellow traveller.

Anonymous said...

I join the other posts to wish you an everlasting happiness, like a free ride on a gondola that never ends...

Kisses and memories.

Anonymous said...

last week our group held a similar discussion on this topic and you show something we haven't covered yet, thanks.

- Laura

Anonymous said...

hi to all www.parisandpomegranates.comers this is my first post and thought i would say hello to you all -
speak soon
garry m

@wordnomad said...

Hi Garry, welcome to Paris and Pomegranates!