I was going to go to Iran in May.

While my German friends are booking flights and getting their visas, I’m making alternative plans.

You see, one of my closest friends in Frankfurt is from Iran, and she wanted to show us the country she is so proud of.

I’ve been learning so much about their culture and I’m fascinated by it (I recently learned that Rumi, one of my favorite poets, is from Iran–how did I not know that?!).

And yet being annoyed by a canceled (postponed) vacation seems so shallow when others don’t know what their fate will be.

I’ve said it before: one of my favorite things about Frankfurt is how international the city is.

I have grown so much in these past 2 and a half years; part of that growth is due to all the different background and walks of life that I witness and interact with daily.

I was at dinner last night with my usual group: German, French, American, Italian/Croatian, my friend from Iran and her mom, who’s visiting.

What do you think the topic of conversation was?

Everyone over here is shocked by what’s going on in the US.

They keep asking me what people over there think.

I know what my friends post on Facebook.

I know what the “fake news” says.

I listen to Fox radio to hear what the callers have to say.

But I’m just as curious as they are.

Are get togethers fun anymore?

Is there intelligent discourse at the water cooler?

Are families talking about what’s going on at the dinner table?

This week, John Lewis is the guest on On Being. Info and transcript here

In the interview, he talks about standing up for what’s right.

He also talks about loving your neighbor.

We need to evolve to the level where we are not ashamed to say: I love you…I’m sorry…Pardon me…Will you please forgive me?…Excuse me. Can we just be human and say I love you? We think of love being romantic but why don’t we just love because it’s good in itself. Just love living creatures. Love is a way of being. It’s action. It’s not passive.