was standing in front of picasso’s guernica today at the museo reina sofía (here in madrid) and tearing up as i thought about palestine when i got a message from my beautiful friend ashwaq, still besieged in gaza, sending prayers for my family and pakistan’s safety. what incredible generosity and thoughtfulness. i am constantly reminded of the beauty, strength and humanity of palestinian culture and what an asset it is to our world. i dream of visiting my friend one day soon, of having tea together and talking about our lives, of meeting her family and perhaps going for a walk, of hugging her for a long time. nothing major. just little moments that mark the passage of time, the shape of our lives, the connections that nourish us. yet a bunch of small, unimaginative, power-hungry men can make such ordinary dreams impossible. it shouldn’t be so…
