Widad's Memoirs - Part 11

Many years ago, I lived in the Middle East (Ramallah, Jordan), which was a wonderful experience. When I was a little girl my mother, my sister Leila, and I would wake up early in the morning to pick grapes. There was a vineyard we owned in the next village which was two miles away. We walked there before the sun rose; it was fun.  We had some property to navigate around, so it took a while longer to get there than would be expected: we didn't have cars like we have here. My grandfather would put us on a donkey and off we went.

The trip was long so we took food with us so we could stay a few days.  The land also had olive trees, fig trees and more. The building we stayed at was made from rock and had a solid door to keep the animals away.  The first floor was very narrow. To get to the second floor you had to climb a very small staircase. The ceilings were solid and low; you almost hit your head going up. The second floor was the so-called resting area. Mattresses and blankets were found on the floor, and there was a big picture window with no glass or screen. I remember there was ledge we would sit out on, and just look out at the darkness of the night. We had only a kerosene lamp to guide us through the house. In the morning we would build a fire so we could cook eggs and to heat water for tea.  When harvest time came, all the olives were picked from the trees as well as the ones that fell to the ground.  The olives were taken to the press and crushed to make pure olive oil. Grapes, olives, figs, we had all of these on our land.

Life was so simple in the holy land. It was always interesting; there was never a dull moment. Everyone went to church on Sundays and Holidays and everyone knew each other. You didn't have to ask what was new; you already knew people's business from word of mouth. I lived a happy life in the old country.

And I lived a full and happy life in the United States..I thank the lord for all the gifts of love he gave me.  He gave me George a loving husband and truly loyal, and children that love me and each other. Parents that raised me with good Orthodox faith, my brother David, kind and generous and his family, my sisters Suad and Leila and their families.  My love for them is great. You could always depend on them; they always come through. God bless you all.