LET ME KEEP IT A SECRET
I am a flower that sprouts from the ground, vibrant in my existence. Bringing color to this world of grey.
Last summer I had the opportunity to meet an Iranian family who fled their home country due to religious persecution. They have two teenage daughters who became good friends of mine and are pen-pals with me to this day. This monologue is based on their mother and a book written by her called The Familiar Stranger, as well as several interviews with her daughters and husband. Having been friends with this family, I was personally affected and inspired by their story. The simple right to practice the religion you choose is something that many of us take for granted, but we do not realize the number of people who risk their lives every day for their faith.
look at the nature
nature teaches us a great lesson,
nature is my secret, my hope
it shows us the power and the will of God to us.
The time when flowers or other plants start to bloom in spring, the time when wind helps the little seeds of these plants to travel to far places, this is the will of God that this wind and rain and thunder help these seeds to grow elsewhere.
You may see these flowers inside the garden of your house, or it may have grown and have roots around a hard rock, or even you may see this flower at the highest point of a mountain.
let it be my secret
these images and moments of nature show us who we are. they show us our individuality.
at least for me and my journey.
unfortunately by the beginning of the revolution of Iran many of my sweet wishes got far away from me, and forced me to obey from a new government
let me keep it a secret
the hardness of the government and their persistence made me not to have any chance to choose for my own life
you see,
I had to do my first step about changing religion
after working for a German-Iranian family, i met my husband
he brought rose flowers to me and we could finally marry when my father accepted him. like a fairytale.
let me keep it a secret
we later moved to Armenia and endured hard conditions there
late nights spent working
praying for a different life, but for appreciation of the one I lived as well
moving from house to house, trying to never forget that I have a home, that I will belong somewhere
when you are living a hard life, but have a specific goal, it is God and that one goal that teaches you patience
it is not until after the hard moments are finished that we can enjoy what we have learnt from them
let me keep it a secret
we then were blessed with the news of our move to Turkey
when we entered Turkey it was like feeling the first fresh air touching your face when you open the window on a hot summer day
we weren't free
but we had a new start.
my journey has taught me patience
love
strength
and to accept what God has for me
I am a flower that sprouts from the ground
vibrant in my existence
and bringing color to this world of grey.
this is my story and this is not the end for me.
Written by: Tacy Surrett
Inspired by the book The Familiar Stranger by Mina K.G.N