GAZA

Dear Future Navi and Niraalam,

I was going to write another blog about post partum life, but right now, how can I? How can I write about the first world problems of body acceptance, juggling life with two kids, and high nursery fees when in other parts of the world, women are having c-sections without any anesthesia. Where an entire population including pregnant women, postpartum women, and babies are literally dyeing, losing limbs, having their homes blown up, and are starving? 

Sometimes all I can think about is Gaza. One day I am sure you will read about Isreal and Palestine (if there even is a Palestine in the future) in your history books in school. I wonder what they will say and who's side they will favor. It's crazy because if you show sympathy for the Palestinians, then several Israelis get mad which is absolutely crazy. You can feel sorry for their hostages and want their release AND feel for the Palestinians who are suffering so much. But the world we live in right now is so needlessly divided. 

Navi, right now you love Ms. Rachel. And I love her too because she is just so great! She is a youtube sensation for young kids. She is educational, she is entertaining, she is kind, she is all of the things! And right now, she is raising money for the children of Gaza and as a result of that, she has gotten bullied so much and it is absolutely appalling. In my opinion, if you are going to bully someone as pure and good hearted as Ms. Rachel, you are going straight to hell! (Or coming back as a cockroach in your next life.) 

Niraalam, currently you are on formula milk. We have a lovely formula milk making machine that takes two minutes to make you a bottle. As with all babies, when you are hungry, you cry. When you do cry to let me know that you are hungry, I quickly go to make a bottle and you cry for those two minutes which breaks my heart. I want those two minutes to be 2 seconds. (The downfall of not being able to breastfeed.) But I feel even worse knowing that there are babies in Gaza and several other places in the world that won't get a bottle in two minutes. . . . .

Navi, you constantly leave leftovers! I can't get mad at you though. You're just a kid! Today, you asked me to make you a cheese sandwich and when I made it, you only took one bite! My heart broke for so many reasons. 

I see pictures online everyday of homes that have turned into rubble and people trapped underneath and I thank God everyday that your father and I have been able to give you a nice home, with plenty of clothes and food. And when we run out of berries or avocados or whatever it is that you want, we can easily walk to the grocery store and buy them for you. We are able to give you bubble baths with clean water followed up with clean, freshly washed pajamas. I don't take anything like this for granted anymore. Something so small and random and regular over here is so unattainable now in Gaza. 

When you become a mom, every kid becomes your kid. And when you see other kids suffering, your heart just shatters. 

And on top of that, as a brown person of Indian descent belonging to the Sikh religion, we can relate to this genocide on so many levels. We know what it's like to be colonized. Look at what Britain did to India. They looted us, ruled over us, and then divided us. And then, need I mention 1984?! Except, what's happening in Palestine is so much worse. How can we not sympathize with them? 

There is absolutely no point to this blog except that it's just a release of how I currently feel which is sad and helpless. Sure we can send money to the charities that are trying to send aid into the region but what good is that when Israel is doing everything in their power to prevent that aid from coming in? What is the point of all of the western countries sending a little bit of money to Gaza but a lot of money to Israel to blow up Gaza??? Make it make sense! 

Your father always says that he is not attached to any country or any nation as it is simply "just a bit of land." (He says this whenever I have said that I am proud to be an American! LOL) And, you know what? I finally get it. Since the beginning of time, people have just fought and killed over land. One of the many reasons that I am so impressed by Scotland is that over here, approximately 50% of the population want Scotland to be independent from the U.K. And over here there is a political party that exists solely for that purpose! And every week, this political party gets to challenge the prime minister on Scottish Independence and have debates and all of it! It's fascinating, I love it! 

However in India, oh my lord, you cannot even dare to speak of independence for the state of Punjab without being called a terrorist and then getting murdered. 

And then we have Palestine which is literally in the process of being wiped off of the face of the Earth. (It's already off of Google maps!) And in America, if you peacefully protest about it, you will get harassed by the police. It just doesn't make sense. 

Apparently Jesus is coming back to Jerusalem and that is why so many Americans support Isreal??? (Forgive my ignorance and unknowingness in this area!) In one of the earlier episodes of the Big Bang Theory (which is now well over 10 years old) the genius character of Sheldon Cooper takes a mini break from being a physicist and tries to solve the Middle East crisis by building a new Jerusalem in a dessert in Mexico. And then all of the Jewish people could just move there. As laughable as that episode was and is, would that not have saved thousands of lives? And could Jesus just come back to Mexico instead? They have really nice resorts over there. . . . 

Kids, if one is oppressed, we are all oppressed. Always stand up and speak up for the oppressed. Now go finish your food. There are literally people on the other side of the world who are starving and would love to have your grilled cheese sandwich. 

Love, 

Mom :)