We celebrated a very Kurdish Thanksgiving. We are not American, I have celebrated a couple of times in the past thanks to American friends who generously let me in. This year in particular we felt the need to vocalise our thanks and gratitude, particularly after the week ( part of 40 days ) of mourning for Kajen”s husband.
There are times when I look at us, at our tribe and think l what a motley crew we are. Those rescued from I$I$, those who escaped but lost all, orphans, widows, differently abled gentlemen, special needs kiddies, young old, multi generational. Yet we are one, we move together, we experience together. We entered Thanksgiving together. And hung out to open and share the gratitude in our hearts.
Our Thanksgiving opened with a minute’s silence. A minute where each one reflected on the reasons that we have to be thankful. Thankfulness and gratitude in a refugee camp is different from anywhere else. It is a deliberate choice and posturing of heart and spirit. Not just for a few hours once a year, it’s a lifestyle and one that I believe comes when hope is alive inside the spirit.
Our voices today echo thanks. I share but a few of the many who expressed their thanks.
Ayhan, Director of the Hope Centre
“Thanksgiving is a time to pause and reflect on what we are thankful and grateful for, beyond anything else. As a tribe, as a community we all have so much to appreciate, no matter what challenges or hardships we have faced in the past. Yes, we have endured difficult and painful experiences, but even amidst these struggles, there are always reasons to give thanks.
As we stand here together in silence, let’s take this minute to reflect. Each one of us can find something meaningful to be grateful for. The simplest examples are often the most profound, family, friends, health, these are the things in life that truly matter to us. These are the treasures that bring light to our lives and remind us of how much we have to cherish.
Let’s take this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the blessings we often overlook or fail to see. Gratitude has the power to heal, uplift and connect us as a community."
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder”
G. K. Chesterton
Nurse Salah
"Firstly, I am very grateful to God who never fails to hear my cry and answer my prayers in this challenging path. He always brings me happiness, guides me towards the right path, keeps me from making mistakes leading me to what is good for me in my life, he knows best. This is all a gift of love and security from God and I am grateful for that. Praise be to God, the King of the Universe, for everything that he does for us and for all of humankind, bringing goodness and unity to those who will receive.
As a nurse I live each day with deep respect for life, seeing it as a constant opportunity for giving and for service. My work is a mission of gratitude that I carry out with love and dedication, knowing that every touch I give may be the reason for healing the body or bringing comfort to the soul.
I am grateful for every moment of my life and I thank God for my family and friends who give me strength and are an integral part of my joy and my ability to keep going. I am especially grateful to Springs of Hope Foundation for their continuous support, encouragement and love."
“Abundance is not a result you create. It’s an existing state you recognise.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nofa
“I have known Springs of Hope Foundation for ten years now, before they even had an office or a campus and have been coming to the Hope Centre for some time now. My friends and I often gather in the sewing room where we talk about our common past, the horrors we endured in the nightmare of I$I$. Though time is passing, the memories remain because they came at such a personal cost.
I learned about Thanksgiving just this year. I learned that it is a day to pause and give thanks for what I have rather than focusing on what I have lost or is still missing. Learning that really helped me to reflect on the blessings that I have, like my family. They were all in captivity but thankfully managed to escape alive.
Our life is hard, it is not perfect but it is better than the worst we have seen and experienced and for that I am so grateful. Being here with these incredible women and having the strong support of SOHF is such a blessing. The Hope Centre is our home, and provides us with so much especially in terms of psychosocial support. I am thankful for the Springs of Hope Foundation. I thank God for the blessings that he gives me. I have all I need.”
“Return to your fortress you prisoners of hope, even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.”
Zechariah 9: 12
Rana
"First of all, I thank God for his help during my years in captivity, especially when my son was still in my womb. I was six months pregnant when I was taken into captivity and feared for his life and my pregnancy. God kept us and preserved us. I am deeply grateful to him.
Secondly, I am deeply grateful to my husband's brothers. When we escaped from I$I$ captivity we had no one else to turn to. They willingly and lovingly took us in and cared for us. Thanks be to God for giving me such wonderful brothers in law.
Thirdly, I am truly grateful to Springs of Hope for their constant support and the joy that they bring into our lives. They have taught me hope, and always find a way to enable me to hold onto hope. Sometimes I imagine that hope is like a rope, and I reach for it and hold on to it. I thank God for them and deeply appreciate everyone who is making all of this possible. Thank you."
“Unshakable hope is not the absence of difficulty but the presence of unwavering faith amidst it. ”
Unknown
Ayhan
"This year as we celebrated, as we stood in a minute of reflective silence, it felt as if a powerful and unshakable force and presence was inside us - HOPE - was alive, living deep in each one of us. I am deeply grateful for the anchor of hope that lives inside me. No matter what will happen it is something that no one will ever be able to take away from me. Once hope is planted it becomes an unbreakable part of us. A part that can not be uprooted. Thankfully we are able to nurture this hope in others, in those who don't know where to turn to find it, those who have lost it, and those who simply don't know what hope is.
On this Thanksgiving I want to express my thanks for this gift of amazing hope. I also want to express my thanks to everyone who helps us, who continues to support and empower us. Your kindness allows us to extend help to those in need, and for that I am truly grateful."
As you have looked into our hearts dear friends, I hope that you are able to see the continuing journey of hope that we are on. It’s a personal journey yet as everything is here, a community journey, deep into the heart of hope and gratitude, one that remains and is not for a couple of hours when seated around a table in comfort. Our hope is for the hard times, the hard places, the rocky ground, it is for the storm and the tempest times.
Our table is set, as Psalm 23 says, in the midst of our enemies, it is in this place that Hope grows, puts its roots deep down and becomes strong. I believe that we are growing hope for the days coming upon us.
I close with the words of John Newton, "tis grace has brought us safe this far, and grace will lead us home." This indeed is our story. This is our journey. We look forward to another year of this incredible hope, this grace that leads us on into the unknown. Unchartered waters lie ahead but our hearts are held steady.
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