Three Cups of Tea - A Book Review

I have been on a fabulous journey lately and I thought I would share it with you. Have you ever felt drawn to a book? What I mean by that is this; you are browsing books in Costco or Chapters and a certain book stands out to you. You pick it up, read the back cover, think " hmmm sounds good, put it down and continue browsing. Next shopping trip you are browsing books in Superstore and the same book jumps out at you, you think "hmmm I remember that book, looks interesting but I have so much reading to do" and off you go to get your groceries. Finally you are browsing Chapters.ca just for fun and out pops this same book. "OK, OK, I'll buy you. Don't expect to be read anytime soon though." And so my journey began.

The title of the book that seemed to be stalking me is "Three Cups of Tea, One Man's Missions to Promote Peace.... One School at a Time." by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. The book is the story of Greg Mortenson a mountaineer who stumbled upon the little village of Korphe in Northern Pakistan, starving and suffering from exposure after a failed attempt to reach the summit of K2 a daunting peak on the Pakistan/China border and his subsequent life mission of promoting peace one school at a time. I read this book like you drink a hot cup of tea. Little sips now and then. I found it to be heart-warming, and full of sadness all at the same time. This book challenged my assumptions of life in Central Asia, the people, the Taliban, the women and how peace is achieved. I learned about the customs, religious beliefs, and attitudes of the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan. I learned of their struggle to survive and also of their goodness. I feel now that I am a bit more culturally literate as to the way things work in that part of the world. I especially loved hearing how the people in this area reacted to 9/11. They reacted with sadness for those who lost loved ones, and they prayed for them.

Mortenson believes that education is the way to fight terriorism. He says, "If we try to resolve terrorism with military might and nothing else, then we will be no safer than we were before 9/11. If we truly want a legacy of peace for our children, we need to understand that this is a war that will ultimately be won with books, not with bombs." He was dedicated to providing education for all, including girls. He has accomplished his mission by building relationships. He said, "By building relationships, and getting a community to invest its own land and labor, we can construct and maintain a school for a generation that will educate thousands of children."

Mortenson was beloved by many Pakistan people at a time when hate for America was very prominent. He was welcomed into their villages and treated like family because of his humble, teachable manner. He sought first to understand and then to be understood. His integrity played an important part as well. The people could trust him. He kept his promises. His co-author describes the characteristics that led him to his success. Mortenson lacked ego, trusted his gut feelings, was steely- minded and seemed to "wing it". He also had enemies and flaws.

Reading this book has helped me to understand what it takes to be successful in carrying out a mission. I think we often think that a person needs to be perfect in order to do some good in this world. They must be a certain way in order to accomplish great things. As I learned about Mortenson's character I learned that this is a false assumption. Yes, he has developed great characteristics but he is still human. I do believe that his overriding character of humility and love is what predicts his success.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about fulfilling a mission or life purpose. I also recommend it to those who would like to understand some of what is happening in the Middle-East and how we might contribute to peace. There is also a children's version which I intend to buy so that I can share this great story with my children. If you have read this far, thank you for allowing me to try to articulate my feelings about this book. I also invite those who are talented in the area of editing to critique my grammer and punctuation. This is something I need help with and welcome any advice.Sincerely,Karina

Birthdays, why?

Why are birthdays so special? Mine has always felt like an after thought. Of course I was born on January 2, a time when everyone is tired of gifts and special days. Because of this experience I always try to make my kids birthdays special. This is not an easy task as the children seem to desire more each year. I'm glad there are others in their lives that help make the day a special occasion.

A dinner out is a nice way to celebrate a birthday. On the ages of 8 and 12 we take our children to a very fancy restaurant. It is our way of saying, YOU ARE SPECIAL TO US. On other birthdays we will also take the kids out for dinner to Tony Romas which gives free meals to the birthday child. It gives the kids practice eating in public and helps them practice their manners.

Sometimes circumstances postpone the dinner. Adam's birthday was in September. About the same time by husband's grandfather passed away. 6 months later Adam got his fancy 8th birthday dinner out at Ric's Grill at the top of the old Lethbridge Watertower. Maybe this meant even more to him than if we had taken him out on his birthday. It may even be easier to remember. I hope they remember. I hope they know how much we love them.

Isn't that why we celebrate birthdays. We celebrate the day the person came into our lives and in doing so express our love for them. Birthdays are important and I want to continue our little traditions long into the adult lives of our children so that each year they are reminded of how special they are to the people who chose to bring them into this world.

Now if I can just remember these thoughts when a dozen 11 and 12 year old girls are giggling after midnight and all I want to do is sleep. The theory and the reality are sometimes very different but the result is the same. A child has concrete proof that they are special.