Final Missive from Abu Dhabi

I know, I know, I should be packing for the 5 of us to catch a plane later tonight. We are one of the first families to depart for the summer holiday. This has been an interesting experience, saying good-bye at the end of another school year. More friends have been made and many will be missed next year upon our return.
It was a tearful good-bye as I said good-bye to Cindy, Barb and Terra this morning. I didn't get to see Trish. We all said good-bye to Liz halfway through the school year. Sad as it is to say farewell, I have come to the conclusion that my tears of sadness seem ungrateful. For to have met these women and to be able to call them friends and to take with me a piece of them now, is much greater than the sadness of having never met them at all. Once again I am reminded that to know true joy requires sorrow. Friends are a blessing, just one of many that have come from this experience of living abroad. I am learning to appreciate the moment I am in, and people I share that moment with. To live in the moment is a skill I needed to develop and still struggle to remember. Saying good-bye to loved ones always conjures up memories of laughter and fun times spent together. Sadness comes from realizing we won't have more of those moments, with those people, for a while. It's twisted how I want more. I have to remind myself that those moments are a blessing in and of themselves. Having met those individuals and shared a space in time with them should bring joy and gratitude rather than a selfish, greedy longing for more. While I struggle with the sadness of saying good-bye to friends I feel great joy in knowing I have loved ones waiting for me back home. Soon enough we will be having that great airport scene, the fun one, of arrival! I will surely be living in that moment and soaking it up like a sponge. In a flash, the sorrow of farewells will strike in August and we will be heading back to other joyful greetings on this end.
Life is just a cycle of joys and sorrows. Fortunately, our family has been blessed with many more joys than sorrows. My wish is that I will be grateful for both because I cannot have one without the other. All these moments must be cherished.
Over and out for now..More later from Utah.

We will surely miss Layla!!

Layla has been a constant friend and companion for Cairo since we moved into the Fortress. They have had the same teachers both years and with Layla just across the compound we have shared many fond memories. Layla's parents have taken Cairo as an adoptive daughter and shown her so many fun activities and served too many meals to count. Now they are off to India for their next assignment. Abu Dhabi memories will always have Layla as part of them. We love you!

Thanks to a group of great teachers!

Mr. F (Fernandez). He really didn't look this tired at all. I just caught him in the middle of a sentence. He is just recovering from a blood clot so we are happy he was here to share the last day of school with us.

Ms. SanMartin. Sam has loved his time in her class. This is her last year at ACS because she and her family are moving back to their native Canada. Their entire family will be missed but we are so grateful we had a year with Sam in her classroom.

Ms. Nigar and Ms. Aneela. We will surely miss the Stepping Stones drop off and pick up with two beautiful women greeting us and sending us off with hugs everyday. Jack and Charlie have a great foundation to start their education at ACS next year. GO VIPERS! (And, I'm now free from 8-3 daily)

Hug-O-Rama

Farewells to friends at Stepping Stones. The boys are moving on to ACS next year. I was the first parent to pick up today so there were a lot of kids there to hug goodbye and it was contagious. Hugs, hugs and more hugs


Jack and Aly's sweet farewell to each other.