*******************************************************
"Bahereh
is proud today/
Nobel Peace Prize, Shirin Ebadi
"The
beautiful Bridal Ghost of Halloween! A TRUE STORY! JJJ
“Another Ode, Another Ballad to my beloved
Mother, A True Heartizen!”
"Another
Childhood Memory of Bahereh 'I Was
Shy' "
May
8th, 2003
"Ode to my neighbor, shortly after
he was moved to a nursing home"
" 'Concern'/Violence
breeds more violence/Resolve differences without war" April
24th, 2003
“The
Story of MY BIG FAT CLOWNISH PERSIAN NOSE!!!:-)”
BACK TO OTHER BAHEREH'S WRITINGS
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Today,
I am proud. You know why? Because when one of us, one human being takes a step
towards making the world a better place, we all win! I am especially proud
because a woman, Shirin Ebadi, who happens to be from my beloved country of Iran
was the recipient of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Shirin Ebadi is a Muslim woman from Iran, from a multi faceted country
consisting of many beliefs, such as Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians,
and Muslims. I happen to be a Baha’i who believes in the Unity of all people.
When
a human being takes a step towards making the world a better place, We all win!
When
a woman takes a step towards making the world a better place, All Women win!
When
an Iranian takes a step towards making the world a better place, All Iranians
win! And when an Iranian woman takes a step towards making the world a better
place, all Iranian women win! And ultimately if we all individually and
collectively work towards bringing peace and harmony to the world at large, we
all prosper, and the world becomes more unified.
May
we all follow in Shirin Ebadi’s footsteps, and may we all follow in all the
peacemakers of the world’s footsteps, and have our hearts and heads united.
It
is the circle that unites us all!
Peace!
Bahereh
P.S.
Here are the links to this years’ Nobel Peace Prize Photo essay and to Shirin
Ebadi's Nobel speech :
http://www.iranian.com/Ebadi/2003/December/Oslo/index.html
http://www.iranian.com/Ebadi/2003/December/Nobel/index.html
Also:
DEMOCRACY
Our only hope
Photo essay: Shirin Ebadi calls for democracy
By Jahanshah Javid
http://www.iranian.com/JahanshahJavid/2004/May/Conference/index.html
"The
beautiful Bridal Ghost of Halloween! A TRUE STORY!
JJJ
"
By
Bahereh
Oct.
2003, Pen Argyl, PA
It
was early dawn this morning, it was kind of foggy outside, and it was the day
that in Pen Argyl we were scheduled to celebrate Halloween. Yes, we were
scheduled to Celebrate Halloween! You see in this town, Halloween is always on
the last Sunday of Oct. It was then that in the foggy early dawn of Pen
Argylites’ Halloween that the Cheesecloth Ghost spoke to me of her past life
on this planet Earth. She said that all her life she felt like a fairy, she
moved around this yard so very gently, and happily. She grew up to a beautiful
young lady. She said that during her life, she spread the true joy in the air
that not only Pen Argylites breathed it, but the whole world was affected by it.
As she said that, I saw the fairy dust spreading all over my yard, and covered
my whole body. I loved the feel of it on my hair, on my face, and on my skin.
She
said that she lived her joyous life of a fairy-like HEARTizen for nearly 20
years, she said that her childhood was filled with joy. Then came the love that
took her off her feet. Oh, how happy this feeling was! The two lovers opened
their wings and like two beautiful birds flew from one branch to another branch,
and soared in the unlimited blue sky. They were so beautiful together, but they
were so transparent that only the mystics could see them. How wonderful this
sight was. I happen to be one of the mystics, and I continued to see their
joyous flight! But unfortunately I was also the one who witnessed their ultimate
flight from this earthly world. I call it their ultimate flight from this
earthly world, because when one lover ends up leaving, the other one is lost
too!
The lovers were enjoying their honeymoon during the beautiful month of October. It was on a beautiful Autumn day of the unknown eternity of the past that one day a beautiful cat entered into their lives. Oh no it was not a black cat, I REPEAT IT WAS NOT OUR FAITHFUL BLACK CAT, DAISY, it was another cat with White and Grey Fur that had the most wonderful feel to it, like the way the rabbits’ fur feels when one touches it. This cat was none other than Jasmine, the wise Persian-like cat, that nevertheless she was one of the mystics of the cats! So, in her wisdom she could see the unseen. She could see the two transparent birds of paradise prancing around the yard and flying on the trees from one branch to another and singing the most melodious songs of paradise. As if they had secrets to share with each other, perhaps the secret was nothing more than their utmost admiration for the magical colors of the leaves of the Fall season. Then they would continue their whispering exchange in a melodious way of chanting, and soaring against the breathtaking colors of the autumn sky. The Transparent birds of paradise continued in their dance of admiration in honour of celebration of the autumn in a circular motion. It was then that Jasmine the cat decided to get ready for her ultimate hunt. Jasmine was on the watch! She waited until the two lovers decided to come down, drink a sip of water, and to take a bath in Bahereh’s handmade birdbath in the yard. Jasmine the cat stayed still near the tree close to where the two lovers were sitting, and were getting ready to plunge in the pool of water. In a quick but magical-like move, she managed to capture the Bride! Her beautiful lover cried out in desperation to no avail, it was already too late. I witnessed it, so upset, but what could I do, punish Jasmine?! Although I thought of that, but the problem was that my dear Jasmine did not do this out of malice, rather she did this out of her genuine gratitude for my taking care of her, feeding her, etc… So, she so kindly brought the half-alive/ half-dead body of the fairy-like transparent bird to my door, and presented it to me as a thank you gift. I was so sad, I was so happy, I was so grateful and above all I was so confused as what to do. Jasmine knew that I was the only one here that could see the lifeless gift of the transparent fairy-like bird, she knew this because she saw the CRYSTAL Lens in my hand. So, I decide to accept her gift with gratitude and to continue my special love for the Transparent Fairy-like bird by transforming her into a HUMONGEOUS CHEESECLOTH and every HALLOWEEN PUT HER ON A TREE. I call her my HEARTizen Ghost of Halloween. It is during this season that I see Her Transparent fairy-like lover flying overhead to protect her to the best of his ability. So far He has succeeded. He enjoys watching his beautiful bride like a bird of paradise continue with her never-ending graceful dance of meditation-in-motion. The other day as soon as Jasmine the Cat got close to the CHEESECLOTH, he cried out for help, and I heard him whispering in a birdsong: BAHEREH! I showed up, and all was well. The HEARTizen Ghost of Halloween will stay on the tree until the Halloween, Oct. 31st, and then she leaves the yard, and again she will be back next Oct. for the celebration of another Halloween.
If you wish to see these lovers, the transparent birds of paradise, you can be a mystic too! Just take your Magical CRYSTAL Lens out, and You too can see their magical flight all across your life, your world!
P.S.
I wrote this in memory of a Christian friend’s sister who had died shortly
after her wedding and was buried in her wedding dress. This was what my
Christian, Armenian-Iranian, grades cooler classmate told me about her sister,
and it created a very unique image in my mind that stayed with me throughout my
life.
P.S. again: Sienna Mae, someday, long
after I am gone, when you think of hanging a CHEESECLOTH on the trees for
Halloween, you should know where the idea has stemmed from? From your Mommy BeeJ
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“Another
Ode, Another Ballad to my beloved Mother,
A True Heartizen!”
Today
is as if I am being transported back in time. Today is another Mother’s Day.
May
the lasting memories of our beloved mothers & fathers stay with us forever.
I
thought you might like to read the short article that I wrote in memory of my
beloved mother. She was a mystic, and a true HEARTizen, believe me. I miss her
dearly.
Bahereh
Sunday, May 11th, 2003
“Another
Ode, Another Ballad to my beloved Mother, A
True Heartizen!”
Happy
Mother’s Day Mum!
Another
mother’s day is upon us, and I, Bahereh, the mother of a 13 years old girl,
Sienna Mae, am celebrating another mother’s day as a MotherLess Mother.
I
can’t believe that I just said what I said. How can I be a motherless mother?
Never!
I
do not wish to dwell on my mother’s death, rather I would like to turn my
focus from her physical death, and to turn my focus on the Celebration of her
beautiful Life. I absolutely must Celebrate Her Life!
For
42 years of my life, I had a mother, then at the age of 43, I became a mother.
(I turned 43, one day after my daughter Sienna Mae was born. She was born on
Oct. 10/ 1989, and I was born on Oct. 11/1946). Then a month and a half later, I
lost my mother, and I became motherless, but I stayed a mother, the mother of my
daughter, Sienna Mae who is 13 years of age now, but she is going on 17!
Fair
or unfair, this is what happened in my life, and I learned this lesson that
truly It is the Circle that Unites Us All.
No
doubt, my mother’s gentle BEAT is still resonating through my life.
I
remember last time I heard (truly heard) my mother’s heart beating. It was
shortly before I left Iran. For some reason that night I slept in the same room
with her. In the middle of the night the sound of her heart beating so loudly
woke me up!!! It was hard on me at the time, but now looking back on it, it was
a privilege.
I
still remember the day I left home (Iran). She followed me to the door and kept
a happy face. Once her tears started rolling down her cheeks, she gently
entrusted me to God and said good-bye. She turned her loving face away from me
to hide her tears and went inside the house. She was so kind that she did not
want to bring any sadness in me. Remembering that scene has always brought tears
to my eyes, it was very emotional. Now I have absolutely no control over my
tears of gratitude.
On
Nov. 25th, 1989, my beautiful mother, a true HEARTizen died in her
sleep. (Oddly enough, when I was a teen-ager, one late Summer afternoon, I took
a nap, and I dreamed of my mother’s death, lying on the bed under a checkered
board reddish blanket, I pushed the blanket off her face, and I found her gone!
This dream woke me up, I was soaked in sweat, and my face was drenched in my
tears. I never spoke of this dream to any body.) Now, on Nov. 25th,
1989, she was gone for real, and unfortunately this time it was not a dream. I
kept on hoping for it to be a dream, hoping to be awaken by this realization
that it was nothing but a dream, but this wish was never going to come true. So,
I learned to accept the reality of her physical passing. It
was as if the cage of her body opened up, and she opened her wings and flew
away. Her flight broke my wings, but with the passing of time, I feel that my
wings are healed, and it is time for me to open my wings, and fly, and
experience the ultimate joy, and the ultimate meaning in life.
How
can I even fathom to say that she, my beloved mother, is not in my life any
more. As a matter of fact she is in my life more than ever before. How can I
deny this fact that my
mother was certainly my best friend, and she continues to be a dear friend. An
honest, sincere, dear friend, who wished the best, not just for her children,
rather for the world at large. She was a true Humanist, she was the embodiment
of Love, Passion, Compassion, Peace, Understanding, & Wisdom. She healed the
world with these peaceful weapons. Her long lasting memories have been cherished
by me, and by any one who had the privilege of knowing her.
It
is her memories that have sustained me until today, and have provided me with
the right tools, to follow and continue her tireless effort of bringing some
peace and understanding to the world at large. Her slogan and her legacy can be
summed up in a short phrase, “Hope, Unity, & Love!” These three words
were what she breathed as long as she lived. She read, and she wrote many love
songs, and spread them all around, and let its mysterious source of energy
travel as far as it could possibly go. Her lasting memories once again convince
me of her sincere belief in the essence of FRIENDSHIP, and Friendliness. May we
all follow in her path, and continue with the legacy that she, along with the
other peacemakers of the world have left for us.
Her
lasting memories and her legacies has given me energy, faith, and hope. My
deepest desire is to be able to share, and to pass on, a portion of my
mother’s love to my daughter, Sienna Mae, and let the wonderful phenomenon of
the Elixir of Love flow as long as Eternity. It is positive, it is beautiful,
and once it is released, it has the power to heal the world.
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Another
Childhood Memory of Bahereh
May
8th, 2003
A
childhood reflection: A year ago or so, I learned that SHYNESS has a genetic
component and it made lots of sense to me, Bahereh, a person who was painfully
shy as a child all the way through my teenage years. I must admit that even
today at the age of 56, I still carry part of this shyness in me; but I’ve
learned to handle it much better.
Apparently
this genetic component of shyness is only 50% of the problem, the other 50% is
attributed to one’s social environment and her/his upbringing. I was very much
loved by my family and others alike, and I was blessed with the parents who
apparently understood my shyness, and they did as much as they could to get me
involved in many social activities, and they helped me to feel more comfortable
in public.
As
a child, I remember every other summer, my dear mother taking us children to her
parents’ home in Kerman, located in the Southern part of Iran/ Persia. We
lived in Tehran, the capital of Iran. We would go there until the end of summer,
then my father, then a Bank officer would take a few days off, he would come to
my maternal grandparents’ home for a visit, and then we would all go back
home, to Tehran.
I
recall this incident so vividly from when I was only a toddler. My dad came to
Kerman to the home of my grandparents after two months of being away from his
family. In those days there was no emailing, he would send a telegram to my
granddad’s office and he would bring it home to share it with every one, then
possibly there was a phone call with a bad connection from my dad telling us
that he was coming. We were all excited including me. After nearly 50 years, I
still remember so vividly when my dad knocked at my grandparents’ door, the
door was opened and he entered the foyer of their house, and I ran away! I was
too shy to be seen by him, and he loved me so much. I could hear his loving
voice asking for me, because he knew that I was around, I think he saw me
running away. Then I was discovered! And kindly was lead to the living room
where my dad was by then. I shyly entered the room, I felt the heat of shyness
in my face, and he so kindly and gently picked me up, kissed my face, and
touched my golden brown hair that he loved so much. Oh, how do I miss his gentle
hand touching my hair, and calling me Boori Joon, meaning my dear Goldie!
I
remember my dear maternal grandmother so lovingly saying that the day won’t
start until Bahereh gets up and enters the room with her big smile! I had and
still have a big mouth!JJJ
I
was almost 16 years old, when finally I got so tired of my shyness and of my
face turning red when entering a room with an audience, that one day, I made
myself a promise/ a conscious decision, that I would do everything in my power
to bring this problem under control. I told myself, first prepare yourself
before entering any room, and remind yourself that whoever is in that room is
simply another human being like you. I practiced that enough, until I could keep
the REDNESS in my face under control, that was quite an accomplishment for me, a
major milestone if you wish. Now I had faked it enough, that at least I did not
have to deal with the redness any more, and little by little I felt more and
more comfortable to be out in public. Once again I must admit, even today at the
age of 56, I still carry part of that shyness in me, but I have it much more
under control. I have learned that once you have it/ the shyness, it never
completely goes away. It is simply a matter of having it under control.
Bahereh
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"Ode
to Mr. Walter Edwards of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania shortly after he was moved
to a nursing home"
A
Quiet Man faded away, but his quiet unspoken soul is still walking in the
neighborhood of my memories. I have seen this man in the past 11 years that I
have lived in this town. He happened to be my neighbor. I recall seeing him
walking around this neighborhood, often with his loving wife, and just as often
all by himself. He seemed to be immersed in his own thoughts, in his own world.
He would smile at me just as quietly, a faint smile, a kind of a mysterious
smile that I wish I could translate into something tangible.
Perhaps the beauty of his smile was in its vagueness, in its sense of
timelessness.
He did not use many words to express himself. Yet the unspoken words were
all there for the ones who wished to see it, and the ones who did not, could
just walk passed it. When I first moved to this neighborhood, and when this
gentleman, Mr. Walter Edwards, was more active, he came across as a quiet man,
he talked very little to me, and overall, I did not know what to think of him.
Yet with the passing of time, I gained a great deal of respect for him, and took
a liking of him as a man who seemed to have endured greatly in his life. But
every time I would look at his wife, I would tell myself, this man is BLESSED!
One should get to know her, then s/he knows what I am talking about.
Now,
I don’t see him walking my neighborhood, and I miss him greatly.
Bahereh
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“Shattered
Musical Instruments”
Sincerely,
Bahereh
Copyright April 28th, 2003
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“Concern”/
Violence
breeds more violence/
Resolve differences without war
Another
shooting! Another shooting! Another school shooting took place today. This time
in Pennsylvania, where I live with my family. My heart aches. Again and again
this thought comes to mind and concerns me greatly: How can we expect our
children to resolve conflicts peacefully when everything around them sends a
different message.
I
am trying to raise an issue which seems to be prevalent even in our schools
today, which is the attitude of most of the students, and ultimately involves
every body. I am concerned about the over-all group attitude of “If
you are not my friend, you are my enemy!”.
How can we expect to have a safer world when we go about it via
war. Isn’t it naive to think that war can lead us to safety and to
world peace?! What is happening, even in our schools today, is extremely
concerning. Again, how can we
expect our children to resolve conflicts peacefully when everything around them
sends a different message. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not against the
American troops, on the contrary, I am quite supportive of these dedicated,
selfless individuals.
My
hope is that someday we as a world society, as the Human Race, delete the word
“enemy” from our vocabulary. No matter who kills who, in reality we are
killing our blood relatives, because underneath it all, we are all brothers and
sisters, and as brothers and sisters, we must resolve our differences through
love, compassion, negotiations, justice, understanding, diplomacy, and above
all, through the preservation of human dignity.
Sincerely,
Bahereh
Copyright April 24th/ 2003
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“The
Story of MY BIG FAT CLOWNISH PERSIAN NOSE!!!:-)”
By:
Bahereh
April
15th, 2003
BUT
MY NOSE STAYED BIG!:-)
I
came to America along with MY GIANT NOSE in Summer 1979, so I was 32 years old
when I came to the United States of America, and I have lived in this country
for over 23 years. As a HEARTizen (I wish to be one!), any where life beckons
me, is HOME. Yet, I cannot deny my special love for where I was born and raised,
IRAN/ PERSIA. Usually when I say “my country”, I mean Iran, but I do
consider my host country of the United States of America as my 2nd HOME!
BUT
MY NOSE STILL has STAYED BIG!:-)
When
we are born, we are considered a citizen of any country we happen to be born in.
I was born in a country that
one can find it in the rain! It is called: IRAN. Subsequently, I am a citizen of
Iran. Over 20 years ago, when I came to this country (USA), I was considered
simply a FOREIGNER. Later on, when I became a permanent resident of the USA, I
was called: An Alien, A Legal Alien! I even have a card to prove this claim!
BUT
I CONTINUE with the BURDEN OF CARRYING MY BIG FAT CLOWNISH PERSIAN NOSE!:-)
*
So, my friends, that was when I decided to become a HEARTizen and have a duel
citizenship! In this way I can become part of the whole universe, and enjoy the
beauty & the immensity of it all. I hope you do the same!
But
guess what:
I
STILL CONTINUED my LIFE WITH MY BIG FAT CLOWNISH PERSIAN NOSE!:-)
Some
day, I would like to go back to my
homeland, and share its beauty with my husband, Walter,
and with my daughter, Sienna Mae. I have many fond memories from my
growing up in Iran. These memories are cherished, forever, in the chamber of my
heart, and in the deepest part of my mind, as long as I live.
I
love the true part of Persian culture, the true part of the Culture that
NEVER dies. The Arts, and the Literature that will exist forever! The
Love Songs that will never cease to exist, no matter what! And of course, I
still miss part of my family that I have left behind.
This
visit most likely will give me the opportunity to share the BIG NOSES of my
Iranian People with my little
nose husband, and my little
nose daughter, Sienna Mae!!!
And
what I don’t like about Iran is FANATICISM, in fact that is what I don’t
like no matter where I live. What I like about my life in the United States is
this fact that I love the freedom of speech. I have always managed to THINK
FREELY, but to be able to express it freely is a gift that should not be taken
lightly. I believe that FREEDOM COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITIES, and it upsets me
greatly when one does not exercise
this wonderful freedom responsibly and respectfully.
Year
2003: CLOWN NOSE SYNDROME/ The saga
of MY BIG FAT CLOWNISH PERSIAN NOSE continues:-)
It
was the last days of January 2003, when I started feeling some itchiness in my
nose, it started getting itchier and itchier, and I started sneezing more and
more, until one day in the middle of Feb. 2003, I felt like something erupted in
my nose, and my BIG NOSE started bleeding a little, and then it started to
turning to a GIANT RED CLOWNISH NOSE!:-), then the itchiness got a little
better, but by God the size of my nose started interfering with my ability to
see!:-). Now, my HUGE NOSE, was grown to its FULL BLOWN CLOWN SIZE!!!
So, I started going about my daily business with a HUGE RED CLOWNISH NOSE
day in and day out. Then one day, I noticed that the skin on top of my nose was
starting to peel off, in a matter of a few days, it did! Just like it was in the
middle of Summer, and just as if it was sunburned!!! It left behind a much
lighter, smoother skin, and in a sense it looked patchy with a little redness
still pointing to the point of my BIG FAT PERSIAN NOSE!!!
My BIG FAT CLOWNISH NOSE started having the additions of cuts and cracks
around the opening. It took about 2 months to get rid of that, almost! Now a new
problem has aroused its ugly head, the BUMPS, and a huge BUMP inside my BIG FAT
CLOWNISH NOSE, BUMPY enough, sore enough, and PAINFUL enough that makes blowing
my nose painful.
So,
my dearest Dr. Melinda Toney, I must come to you, hoping that you have the magic
of turning my BIG FAT CLOWNISH PAINFUL NOSE to an ATTRACTIVE SMOOTH BEAUTIFUL
NOSE!:-) You are my last hope, my refuge, and my fate is in your hand!!! I would
like to be LIBERATED from this BIG FAT CLOWNISH NOSE, although
in my opinion, LIBERATION and DEMOCRACY is a journey and not a
destination. We are all journeying through this path of democracy, and no one
has made it to the finished line, yet.
And
on and on and on....
I
simply would like to keep my SOUL ALIVE, and not my BIG GIANT FAT CLOWNISH NOSE
ALIVE!!!:-)
So,
I CELEBRATE LIFE!!! While my fate
is in your hand!:-)
Should I join the Circus?!JJJ
Love,
Your friend in Pen Argyl, Bahereh
CLAY ART by Bahereh | CLAY ART by Walter Heath | Home Page | About the Artists | Writings
(610)863-3362
Mailing Address: 423 Mountain Ave. Pen Argyl, Pa. 18072
please send e-mail to: bahereh@HEARTizen.com