We are blessed

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini was a beautiful story with a hopeful ending and I totally loved it.  Not only did it give an insight to life in the Middle East but it also told a heart breaking story that ended positively which was genius. The insane amount of difficulties the women of this story went through opened my eyes to how many things we, especially in America, take for granted.
First of all, the fact that the story took place during war with rockets always being fired and no consistant control of government shows how although American politics are not perfect they are at least somewhat reliable.  Prior to reading this book I had no knowledge of what it is like in Afghanistan and according to this book it was completely opposite from what the news tells us.  The constant change in leadership and the knowledge that at any moment a rocket could come and destroy everything and everyone you love is a huge weight so many people had to carry.  A lot of people, me included, don't really get too involved with politics or just spend hours arguing on Facebook about who should be able to get married and what drugs should be legal. I am not trying to belittle our rights, however in comparison to the political issues in other countries who are being consistently overpowered and there is no order whatsoever we have it easy. Although our government isn't perfect we don't have to be afraid to leave the house because of warlords or bombs, this book showed me how I should be grateful for the safety provided for me by my country.
Another thing that the story showed I should be thankful for is my relationship with my parents.  Mariam had a tough relationship with her mother as well as her father. Her parents never approved of or supported her because she was illegitimate. When Jalil sent her away I was so upset because the relationship between her and her dad was not real. Laila also didn't have a great relationship with her mother because she was so upset about the deaths of her sons. I am so blessed to have two parents who love me and are dedicated to give me the best life has to offer.
The last part of the story that really stood out to me was the way the book ended with the marriage of Tariq and Laila.  The one night when they were together and the little boy came in in the middle of the night and Tariq willingly got right up to take him back to bed was just a beautiful moment.  They had gone through such hardship that the fact they were all together under the same roof in a safe spot outweighed any complaints they could have about getting woken up.  I think about some of the romantic comedies about couples who are parents and don't get any sleep and how horrible it is for them.  What in our society is considered a nuisance was a blessing for the family in Pakistan. That to me is just too incredible. It makes such a huge statement about the differences in our two societies.  We don't appreciate the things that are sometimes impossible in other countries.
Reading a book like A Thousand Splendid Suns can take you to a different world and open your eyes to the fact that we take so much for granted. If you never experience life outside what you already know you never can truly appreciate all the wonderful, blessings we have here in the States.
We are so blessed.