Gratitude

I haven't been drawing lately as I have been making jewellery which include necklaces, bangles and earings. It is very relaxing to bead and use lots of colour. I use crystals and pieces of marquesitte etc in my jewellery. Since 2001 my son and I have been going to a lapidary club and cutting and polishing (cabishon) semi precious stones. We lived in the country in Australia in a town called Oberon for over three years. There is a crystal quarry and lots of fossicking areas that we used to frequent and dig for sapphires. It is very addictive if you find anything and leaving the fosscking site is not easy. My ex husband who is Syrian and the reason I lived in Syria, has returned to his homeland with his new wife and two small daughters. I am good friends with his new wife who is quite a few years younger than me. She has lived in Australia since 2003 and my twenty one year old daughter, Yasmin loves her and her three and two year old sisters, Kinda and Jilnar. Lena, my daughters stepmum has become one of my closest friends. Her daughters call me aunty Eva and I adore them. Kinda has been crying for me in Syria because I have been her aunty, grandmother and only older relative of sorts in Australia. They are returning to Australia next year. We are truly a global society and there is so much sadness when one leaves their homeland, friends and family to live in another country for whatever the reasons. I was making jewellery in a park near Sydney at Thornleigh last week whilst waiting six hours for my son to finish an And1 basketball camp. I met an older gentleman and we got talking about lots of things and I happened to mention that I was a casual teacher and he offered me a job in Hong Kong. The job description included teaching the children of Australian volunteers living in Hong Kong and working with an Australian Charitable organisation. The gentleman had two grandchildren aged nine and ten and I taught them to make a bangle each. They were excited with their pretty bangles and my heart was filled with warmth and gratitude that a stranger would trust me so to teach his grandchildren and even offer me a job. Of course I declined because I am still looking after my son. I would have jumped at the opportunity if offered the same job in the future. Laurie, you tagged me and I have to write seven things that I have never told a soul. It will take time to remember my secrets and thankyou for thinking of me.