when it is dark enough, you can see the stars

My friend KP invited me to hear Greg Mortenson, the author of "Three Cups of Tea", speak in our town last night. If you haven't read the book, it's about the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Very inspirational.

Two things from the lecture really stuck with me. He asked the audience to raise our hand if we had conversations with our Grandparents about their life experiences. Few people raised their hands. He said that when he asks that question of school aged children in America, around 20% of them raise their hands, while in Afghanistan and Pakistan, at least 90% of school aged children raise their hands. It's actually a part of their curriculum. It made me think about the very rare conversations I had with my Grandparents, when they were still alive. As an adult, I would treasure knowing more about their lives.

This inspired me to come up with some questions (let me know if you have any suggestions!), and interview my Mom and my husband's parents. Then, I'm going to document our conversations on my blog, and save them for my children.

The other thing that stuck with me, was a Persian proverb that seemed so appropriate right now:

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

It is so true. And the darker the sky becomes, the more stars appear. I'm finding those stars every day, and making a wish on every single one.