Slowly our lives here in Abu Dhabi are getting packed up and sealed neatly into containers. Photos on hard drives (several back-ups), friends in our hearts, furnishings in specially designed corrugated cardboard boxes. The sound of tape peeling off rolls and around boxes is the background noise to the Filipino moving guy's Bon Jovi music and karaoke singing. As each piece of our lives is put into a nice protective covering I am slowly peeling myself away from our time here.
It has been charmed.
More than we ever would have hoped for we have created memories here that will last a lifetime and beyond. This is what the B & T Cooks were meant to do. This is who we are. Every family has an identity. Our identity is always closely tied to family and to most recent experiences. The Abu Dhabi experience will be a mark on the timeline of our lives. Each of us remembering things that happened before AD and after AD.
For Jack and Charlie, who have now spent 1/2 their lives in AD..Most of their memories, for now, will be of AD. And summers spent in Utah playing with cousins and Grandparents. Living the best of both worlds, as we all have. For Sam and Cairo who have spent a large percentage of their lives here the memories will be a bit stronger. Impressions a bit deeper.
Hopefully, for all the children, as for B&T we have been changed for the better. We leave here with a greater love, understanding and compassion for all God's children. We leave here knowing that most everyone is good and we are all more alike than we are different. We leave here knowing the differences among individuals are to be valued not feared. We leave here knowing....We'll be back.
Oh, soaring spires and majestic arches...I will miss you.
Call to prayer, I will miss you. (5 times a day)
Crazy Abu Dhabi traffic...hmmmm. I may even miss you because you allowed me extra time in the car with the kiddos everyday. Time we spent singing, picking songs from the IPod, and practicing spelling words and math problems.
Pakistani men, in your traditional clothing, walking to and from mosque, I will miss you.
Porters at Spinney's (who were so careful with my eggs and bread) and who always remembered to ask about my children, I will miss you.
Clear blue skies and ocean water, EVERYDAY, I will miss you.
Camels and jockeys, I will miss you.
Villa #11 Fortress Compound, Home, I will miss you.
Abu Dhabi, I will miss you.
I may wrap up this blog just as I wrap up all other things Abu Dhabi. We are on to a new chapter in the B&T family adventure. Adding different colors to this mosaic we call life. We pray they continue to be bright and vibrant and exciting...
