Love of the Country, A Sense of Belonging.

An Arabic post is circulating on Facebook about how a Lebanese citizen describes Lebanon with words of love for his nation.

Regardless of the accuracy of the story, I found in it a touchy note about the sense of belonging to our nation, no matter how the diffused news about it  and its reputation might sound bad.

I have contributed with the translation below to spread the message behind the Arabic post to English readers, and I hope it will be liked and shared:

A Lebanese citizen traveling through a European airport, handed his passport to the Customs control officer. The latter looked at him smiling and asked him:

Which do you love more: Lebanon or the European nations?

He replied: The difference in my love for Lebanon and the European Nations is exactly how I feel my mother and my wife. For I get to chose the wife, desire her beauty, love her and adore her but she can never make me forget my mother. However, I never chose my mother, but I just find myself belonging to her. I feel serenity in no place other than in her arms, I can’t shed my tears anywhere but on her chest and I don’t wish from God that I rest dead nowhere but in the ground under her feet.

The Customs officer folded the passport and looked at him in amazement, and said:

We hear that living there is hard so how do you love Lebanon?

He answered: You mean my mother?

She smiled and said: ok let it be your mother.

He said: My mother might not have the money to buy medicine or to pay doctors fees but in the kindness of her hugs and the longing of her heart when I am in her arms I find my cure and relief.

Then she said: Describe Lebanon for me.
He said: She is not a beautiful blonde but you will find comfort if you look at her face.

She doesn’t have blue eyes, but you will find tranquility if you look at her.

Her clothes are simple, but it carries in its folds kindness and compassion.
She doesn’t wear ornaments of gold and silver, but her necklace is made from the tufts of wheat and barley, that she uses to feed every hungry.

She was robbed but still smiles.

Lebanon remains forever but the thieves will end up in the dump of history no matter how long they hold. Lebanon is forever standing the fortress of revolution.

As she returned his passport to him she said:

I see Lebanon on the television but I don’t see what you just described to me.

He told her: You see Lebanon that is located on the world map, but I am talking about Lebanon that is located in the depths of my heart.