Thanksgiving

There's nothing like a holiday to turn thoughts to home. This is particularly true for me this year. We realize how privileged we are to be on such an assignment and we are grateful for so many things; for our health and that of our families', for the prosperity that allows us to come here, for the political stability in America that allows citizens to disagree in safety, for each other. As you know the politics of this region are complicated. My wife, as one of the only Americans some of these people will ever meet, gets asked a lot of questions about our country. Because Terry is approachable, people feel comfortable telling her their views of the USA and it can be overwhelming. Fortunately, my wife's week ended on a nice note. On Wednesday we went to the Binational Jordanian-American Commission (Fulbright) for a Thanksgiving celebration. There were about 50 people and it was great to catch up with friends. On Thursday we were invited to the home of US diplomats for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We have been far from home before, and we've worked through holidays before, but in this day and time in history, and after this week in particular, it was a great comfort to be with Americans. The day ended with a "skype" visit from my family in Florida then from our daughter and her family (including her wonderful in-laws) in California. I want to tell you, family and friends, how thankful we are for you. The hundreds of supportive emails you've sent while we are so far from home, the news you share, the prayers you send, keep us going. Happy Thanksgiving.