TRADITION VS. URBANIZATION

November 2019, I had one of those moments that dropped me to my knees in front of Sheikh Isa House in Manama, Bahrain - the former home to the current king’s great-grandfather, last inhabited in the 1930s. Seated right outside of a mosque, it has the tranquility and quietness that one would imagine for a nearby facility to such a holy site.

As I walked out of the living museum, I was greeted by the two women, one child, and the gentleman photographed above. A few steps after greeting each other, the women verbally poured their hearts out - visibly filled with a mixture of emotions. They began to tell me of the sprawling Bahraini compound they grew at and how it looked identical to this home. They described the elaborate layout and even told me how they would weave baskets and make honey from the trees that resided on their farm.

The woman photographed on the right, concluded, and tears started to pour from her eyes. It was there that I finally noticed the white tissue waded in her hand. She regretfully told me that the home of her childhood was torn down for new development and how coming back to Sheik Isa’s reminded her of everything that she missed from her youth. With pain and gratitude mixed, it seemed as though she was equally sad for the destruction of her past and thankful for a small reminder of her memories.

Feeling all of her emotions, I too began to cry. We sat there all together, hugging - souls touching souls.

So often, I wake up and forget to find my center. Lately, this has happened more mornings than I would like to admit. But then, moments like this happen where I realize that I am precisely at the place that I am supposed to be - to hear the stories, to take the photos, and to share them with the world. Most of the time, I have no idea how I fall into these situations. But as I sit baffled, I know that I would live such a sad existence without people sharing with me their pain and triumphs. When I am up to my ears in edits and not knowing which client I am going to drop the ball on first, I have this happen where my entire world comes to a halt, and I am just all into whatever the Universe wants for me.

I do not understand how I arrived in Bahrain, and I do not know how I became so lucky to meet all the American families and Middle Eastern locals that I have - but it all feels perfect, whole, and still. I get to just "be" now, and I am so grateful to these women for ushering me to my new reality.