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Iraqis find hope in newly falling snow (Snowflake Therapy)
Huachuca Scout ^ | MSG Timothy Soliz

Posted on 02/14/2008 8:36:01 PM PST by SandRat

These are the words of MSG Timothy Soliz

Iraq - In the wee early hours of Jan. 11, the generator powering our containerized housing units, or CHUs, quit working. It didn’t come back on for six hours, and we hit an overnight low of 25 degrees. I woke up freezing in the middle of the night and found myself buried in the abyss of a cold, black metal CHU.

I stumbled out of bed and stubbed my right big toe. After screaming a very short prayer…ahem, I think you know what I mean… I managed to find some warmer clothes, threw them on and crawled back into bed. I tossed. I turned. My big toe throbbed. I could not get back to sleep.

When I finally got up for good, I was feeling quite cranky. I opened my door and saw a spattering of snow on the boardwalk that we use to stay off the mud when it rains. Being from Michigan, I didn’t give the snow a second thought.

I decided to make coffee and check email. No sooner had I poured my first cup of joe, I heard a knock at my door. It was my 40-year old interpreter, who I’ll call Kareem. No one can know his real name or it will mean certain death to him or his family, or both.

When I opened my door, I saw Kareem smiling and looking up at the sky with an absolutely beautiful look of joy on his not-so-handsome, leathery-skinned face.

“Never before have I seen snow!” he exclaimed. “Snow has not fallen in this part of Iraq in many, many years. No one in my family can ever remember seeing snow.”

A snowflake then landed on Kareem’s age-lined check and quickly melted, and I couldn’t distinguish whether it was merely a melted flake or a tear of joy. This man has known nothing but atrocious living conditions and brutal leadership in this land that seems forsaken. But suddenly, he seemed to be transformed into an innocent child, a child who once again believes that maybe there is hope for his people.

Then I noticed more “snowflakes” melting on Kareem’s cheeks. He was crying tears of joy! They were warm, salty streams of inner exuberance that he simply couldn’t hold back, and he wasn’t alone.

I learned that people in central Iraq up to 80 years old were exulting in the pureness of a fresh snowfall.

Millions of Iraqis – Hardened-hearted as a result of their life’s lot – were crying like happy children, unashamed and obviously thrilled with the promise of a future being different that their past.

Maybe healing has begun a a result of one tiny snowflake. And then I got to thinking. Governments can’t make these people happy. Their religion does not appear to me to make them very happy. Their living conditions do not make them happy. But snowflakes did.

Maybe what this country needs is snowflake therapy.

The snow was gone in a few hours, but the sweet joy it brought to millions of war-ravaged people here in central Iraq will last a lifetime.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: hope; iraq; snow
This story won't be available at the website until next week.
1 posted on 02/14/2008 8:36:03 PM PST by SandRat
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To: StarCMC; Kathy in Alaska; Bethbg79; EsmeraldaA; MoJo2001; Brad's Gramma; laurenmarlowe; ...
Here, you'll need them to read this thread.
2 posted on 02/14/2008 8:37:23 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: SandRat

Nice story. Thanks for sharing.


3 posted on 02/14/2008 8:41:41 PM PST by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: SandRat
Wonderful story! Thank you, Sandrat!

For these people and what they have gone through their entire lives, they must have seen this as some sign from above - a cleansing of their land - a blessing.

On such tiny things have big things come

4 posted on 02/14/2008 8:41:49 PM PST by maine-iac7 (",,,but you can't fool all of the people all the time" LINCOLN)
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To: SandRat
Excellent post.

It was my 40-year old interpreter, who I’ll call Kareem. No one can know his real name or it will mean certain death to him or his family, or both.

The family of one of my brother's 'terps was massacred this way because he was helping the Americans. The interpreter himself went into hiding but is likely dead now. :-(

5 posted on 02/14/2008 8:41:54 PM PST by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
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To: SandRat
“Never before have I seen snow!” he exclaimed. “Snow has not fallen in this part of Iraq in many, many years. No one in my family can ever remember seeing snow.”

G L O B A L W A R M I N G

6 posted on 02/14/2008 8:45:18 PM PST by chaos_5 (McStain and Suckabee 2008)
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To: SandRat

Cool!


7 posted on 02/14/2008 9:22:45 PM PST by Eagles6
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To: SandRat; Allegra

Thanks SandRat!

Ping to the Sockmistress!


8 posted on 02/14/2008 9:35:20 PM PST by JennysCool (They all say they want change, but they’re really after folding money.)
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To: SandRat

The first snow excites everyone in the world! It shows power we cannot comprehend. God Bless the wonderful folks there.


9 posted on 02/14/2008 9:40:05 PM PST by eyedigress
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To: Gondring

I am very sorry to hear this, I hope the US can help and bring them to safety. :^(


10 posted on 02/14/2008 9:43:26 PM PST by eyedigress
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To: SandRat
...you'll need them to read this thread.

No lie. Thanks for posting!

Snow in Mesopotamia. I am not one to believe in omens, but there are a lot of people who are, and I have to admit that this one is pretty impressive. BTT.

11 posted on 02/14/2008 9:43:33 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: eyedigress

Very funny.


12 posted on 02/14/2008 10:19:16 PM PST by BIV
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To: JennysCool
Yes, it was beautiful. Normally, I hate snow, but when I went out on the porch of my dorm building here to have a smoke early that morning and saw those white flakes drifting down, I found it quite delightful.

Iraqis had always told me it does not snow in Baghdad.

When I saw some of the Iraqis later that day, every one of them talked about that morning's snow being a symbol of peace.

The timing was certainly good for such a thing. :-)

13 posted on 02/15/2008 12:37:13 AM PST by Allegra (Posting without being logged on since 2001)
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To: JennysCool

It has been posted here on FR that the Iraqis view snow as a sign of peace.

Peace and happiness be with them.

And ice cream! Do they have vanilla and sugar and ice shavers?


14 posted on 02/15/2008 12:44:48 AM PST by txhurl
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To: SandRat

Thanks for the great article. This makes me wish for full success for the Iraqi people.


15 posted on 02/15/2008 5:51:25 AM PST by Arrowhead1952 ("It may take another Jimmy Carter to get another Ronald Reagan". Rush Limbaugh Jan. 14, 2008)
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