“Do you like living here?” is one of the most asked questions by locals when one moves overseas.

How does one answer that question? “Yes, I like this about your lovely country, but I don’t like that.”

In fact, how do we answer that question about our own country, the place where we were born or have lived most of our lives? It’s not a matter of which country is better. Each country has its own set of pros and cons. It’s a matter of which set you want to live with.

Last December, we invited my daughter’s classmates to a Christmas party at our house. As I talked with the mother of one of my daughter’s friends, we decided to get together soon at a local café. We enjoyed each other’s company that day, and she shared that she’s divorced and doesn’t trust anyone here.

“I used to live in Qatar,” she said. “That’s the country where I belong. I don’t feel comfortable here, even though I’m from this country. No one here will take care of you. You have to take care of yourself. When your children are grown, they’re not going to ask you if you need anything. They’re going to go their own way and do their own thing. They won’t tell you that they’re so grateful for all the sacrifices you’ve made and then sacrifice for you. They’re going to live their own lives. So, I take care of myself first, and then I take care of my children. I get my hair done. I get my nails done. Then I do things for the children.”

Before we parted, we promised to get together again, but a string of sicknesses among the children has kept us from doing so.

Recently, I ran into her at the city mall that houses the supermarket. When I saw her, she said that life can be really tough, but in the grand scheme of things, life is such a short time that it’s not worth worrying about the problems that we have here. She said they were not important, then pointed to the sky. “Up there is important.”

As we hugged and planned to get together again soon, she said, “I’m here for you like your sister. Let me know if you need anything. I will be here for you.”

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