family life is one of the most beautiful values we try to keep and maintain as palestinians. however, israeli occupation managed to intrrupt the positive side of it. due to the fact that i have a gaza ID and it occured that i was in the west bank when al aqsa intifada started in 2000, i couldn't see my parents who are only an hour and a half away from me in gaza city. i had to graduate alone, i have to live ramdans and eids alone, i had to experience the invasion of west bank alone..... added of course to the social pressure of being a female living alone with some roommates...
in the beginning of january, my sister in UAE, applied for a visa for me to go visit them on the eid. i though it would be a great idea if it works. after living under harsh uncertainity, waiting for an israeli permit to pass the bridge to jordan, i managed to make it.
i arrived to the UAE on the 1st day of the eid. as soon as i did, my other sister who i haven't seen for 7 years, decided to book a ticket and come from Saudi Arabia and my parents, not belieing the fact that rafah border is open, went to egypt and booked a ticket to UAE... i met them all... i have met my nieces and nephew that i have never seen before.
it was very moving and emotional to see this HUGE amount of family members for me. it was some kind of a shock for me.
but when i started to understand what was going on. i had to go back to the west bank..... and it feels so hard..
before this experience i even fogot how it feels to be in a family and have sisters and parents...
my learnt lesson: one has to value what s/he has. and it's really great to have a family