She didn't have to, but she invited me in, had me seated in her living space and brought me warm tea. We chatted about niceties like the weather and our children, and then we decided to actually talk.
She told me how her family found refuge from Iraq by fleeing to Egypt, and how they waited for three years before being granted permission to leave. She told me how they've been building a life in the land of the free, working ridiculously hard. She told me how she visits the mosque with her family, her community. And I wonder how she responded when all that she had been fleeing erupted so close to her new home.
She didn't have to, but she invited me in, and our daughters played hide-and-seek.
This month, I've challenged the girls to look into the eyes of a stranger, someone who they would usually pass by. Speak a word, acknowledge their presence, cast a smile in an intentional way.
Instead of moving among others in isolation, offer out an invitation. We're practicing waging peace.
