Still the question always remains in what have Saudis have
done to help me or why do I love them so much and mostly what have I learned
from them from the experience in Saudi for 3 years?
From meeting my first Saudi friends in 2004 learning in how
kind these people are I made it my personal mission to learn everything about
Saudi people and culture and to show the world the good things about them
everything good! The negative? We all have them but people seem to excuse all
the good and focus on the bad only!
When I met my Saudi friends years ago I was kind of a mess I
didn’t have respect for my mom or myself after spending my time with Saudis I
always admired their relationship with their parents something I always wanted
with mine but was always a gap between our relationship ether from our
differences or just being a rebellious brat I remember one time talking to an
old Saudi friend and told him about an experience of being arrested years ago
for fighting my mom, the look on his face towards me was the face of disgust in
how could you harm your own mother after all she has done for you and you know
what he was right!
My mother had stood
by my side through some very dark times in my life and how did I pay her back by
not respecting her, I know that respecting the parents is a huge foundation in
Islam but I have never seen it done like how Saudis do it! They practically
almost worship their parents to the point if you’re a foreigner marrying into a
Saudi family you may feel very jealous but this is something that they have
taught me one of the major things that they taught me is to take care of your
parents and forget the bad things they have done because we’re not perfect
ether.
So what else have they taught me besides bad habits? Lol I’m
a firm believer that Allah sends each person in your life for a reason ether
for a lesson or someone to help guide you. For some of those who know me I have
been struggling with my prayers for quite some time sometimes I pray one prayer
sometimes two or three sometimes none at all each person I have come across
they always tell me whatever your struggle your facing no one will ever listen
to you the way you want but Allah tell him whatever you want cry to him he
hears you and he cares about you and I was always in doubt of praying because I
was told that the things I have requested you can’t ask that in a prayer and I asked a friend I asked her what if what
I want is a divorce? She said a divorce isn’t haram if your unhappy tell Allah
that and insha’allah you will be granted with what you want and may Allah make
it easy for you! Sometimes it takes the right words to help generate a person’s
mind in to restart something good.
You may ask are you
really going through divorce. Insha’Allah yes! Is it what I planned, no! but
you know sometimes you realize that the perfect picture in the beginning wasn’t
perfect at all and no Saudi Arabia isn’t the issue at all I absolutely adore it
here and will do everything I can to try to stay to live here and to be with my
kids many say stay for your kids and I think this is a selfish thing to say! Especially
when you don’t know what that person is going through and as someone who had
parents always fighting I can tell you it’s better to have 2 separate homes
then one home that is always fighting!!! So those who been following me
wondering why I haven’t been blogging much this is major reason why because it’s
been a rough depressing road!
How has living in
Saudi Arabia been for the 3 years that I have been here??? Well it’s had its
rough and amazing times rough meaning my personal life but living here well it’s
not for everyone. Everyone asks me how was the culture shock when you came to
Saudi Arabia? I think for the fact I had many Saudi friends prepare me for how
the life was here I didn’t have much culture shock at all! When I’ve visited
Bahrain, Dubai, or back to America is when the culture shock sunk in because
for one in Bahrain and UAE. Women are
allowed to drive, everything is very westernized to accustom the foreign people
who live there also men and women mingling side by side the stores not closing
during the prayer time while music is still playing I think I’ve gotten so used
to the Saudi life that everything else felt so odd I know your probably
thinking strange American you should feel much more relaxed lol I did but I
felt more comfortable with the conservative lifestyle, as I have told many
people Dubai and Bahrain are nice to visit but not for living I feel like these
places are not very family oriented where Saudi Arabia is very family friendly
and tries their hardest to stay along the Islamic ways of life it’s the best
place for me and for my kids to live I want them to be in touch with their
roots and their culture and Islam more than anything else so that way when they
go to other countries they will be grateful to their life in Saudi Arabia…
Living here in Saudi Arabia I have had the honor to see so
many things happen here from a community coming together for a marriage, a new baby,
or a death in the family. My father in law unfortunately passed away a few
months ago and I see so many people come together from our neighbors to
strangers coming to pray for someone they don’t know. My previous neighbors I
had when I lived in Jeddah Saudi Arabia after I had my last son they took care
of me as if I was their daughter! They brought food offered to care for the
home to watch the kids even, I have never met people like this before not even
in America would you find like these people.
When you have Islam in your heart and the right teachings and a good
rich community I don’t mean rich in money I mean rich in morals, and respect
for one another the saying it takes a village to raise a child that’s the way
it is here!
As I said Saudi
Arabia is not for everyone I know personal friends who may struggle here even I
struggle here as I look for work without a degree but I am hopeful that Insha’Allah
I will find something I have faith in Allah that he brought me here and he will
not let me leave here I will live here until I die insha’allah I hope and pray
that anyone who has a dream to come to Saudi Arabia please don’t give up on
this dream go for it and never stop until you get it!!!
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