Elyse Molenhouse

“Mother bent lower to look into our eyes. “What happened was wrong and terrible, but we cannot undo it. Will revenge will bring Baba back? Do we want other children to cry because their father is also gone?” With a small handkerchief, she wiped the tears from our faces. “We have to look forward now, and we cannot do that with vengeance in our hearts. If that soldier knew Baba, he may not have killed him. And whoever killed your father does not know that he left seven children without a father and made me a widow.” Mother was quiet for a moment. When she spoke again, the tone of her voice was as gentle and soothing as the olive oil she used to dress our wounds. “Your father would not want you to live in hatred and anger. He would want you to honor his memory by living well. And someday when we see him again in heaven, he will be so proud of us.”
― Bishara Awad, Yet in the Dark Streets Shining: A Palestinian Story of Hope and Resilience in Bethlehem