It's been a tough week. Dealing with these neighbors and the hostility, coldness that has spread from them to other neighbors. I've been trying to focus on all the good in our lives. I've been on two business trips in the past two weeks and work is truly better than ever. Kajal is doing amazing in school, I mean AMAZING! She tested for reading and her goal was a score of 28 and she came home radiant.. I scored a 44 MOM! My mother has been reading with her every day to help increase her comprehension levels and the results have been tremendous, in a really short period of time. It's almost inconceviable that Kajal didn't speak English 3 years ago. 

The weather has been beautiful and we've been out gardening together, several times a week. Planting a garden and watching it grow... so simple and yet we've had so much joy, every day... by looking to see what surprises await us in our little garden.

We're headed to Boston this spring for a visit and Kajal can't wait to see her friend, Manisha. We're so blessed to still be in touch. Kajal thinks of Manisha as a 'sister'.... and in many ways they are. Sisters of the heart, sisters from experience. They both lived in the same orphanage, shared some of the same story.

Kajal has been troubled by what has been happening with the neighbors next door. At first I tried to shield Kajal from what was happening but it was impossible. Voices carry and she's heard my mother and I talking, overheard telephone calls. I sat her down and explained the truth of what happened... why do people lie she asked me. Again, I explained that we have to believe they have their own challenges. Their own problems... sometimes they are just so unhappy they need to take it out on others. Place the blame of their own lives, on someone else instead of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for themselves.

I don't know what the right answers are anymore.

I still don't completely understand what's happened myself. They aren't letting it go either.. public humiliation wasn't enough for them, they've been chasing down our HOA board demanding my resignation. This week  I'm having a meeting with the board so they can review what transpired and hear my side of things. Thank goodness most of it is in black and white, emails between myself and the neighors.

The truth is there.

One of my neighbors suggested I resign, make it easy on myself, my family and everyone around us. I've thought about, it's not like I have the time to serve my neighborhood anyway, I'm working a full time intense job, single mom and all. There are many other ways to be of service... I could just walk away.  The problem with that is what lesson am I teaching my daughter. I've taught her to stand up when she see's injustice happening, to stand up for herself and others.

If I let a neighorhood bully, and an adult one at that... decide that because they don't like me I shouldn't be allowed to serve my community then what example am I setting?

I've struggled with this... unfortunately, asking for peace doesn't always work. I'm not sure these folks will let things go. They've got too much hatred in their hearts.... I keep praying that they find peace... and I keep trying to forgive them for what they've done. It's not easy. Boy it's not easy.

But then I watch whats happening in Japan. I am humbled by the serenity I see exhibited in the faces of those we watch on the news every day. The prayer circles the workers stand in, before they return to the work that will most likely cause them death by radiation. The families standing in ruin, searching for one another...

My problems are so trivial when I see what else exists in the world. When I take a moment to look outside myself and my own little world.

I try and avoid the news some days, it's almost too much to take in... but then I watch the people of Japan and I find myself crying for them. They are the ones who need our prayers and are thoughts, who need our help.

Then I remind myself that what we're going through in our own lives, 'this too shall pass' and it really is, so very unimportant.