I had a reminder today of how lucky I am.

My Uber driver today was a really nice guy. Moved to Vancouver from Tehran to lead the way for his family. We got to talking about the current situation in some depth and how Trump’s incompetence has made it worse.

With the Internet out, he hasn’t talked with his family for days. Just before we arrived, he shared that he has nightmares every night that he’ll never hear from his wife and mother again (both still in Tehran). His eyes filled with tears.

I was honored that he felt safe enough to let his feelings come to the surface. I stayed with him for a little while to let him know that I care, that we (as Canadians) care, and that we will hopefully welcome his family soon.

After getting out of the car, I felt a gut punch in realizing and finally feeling that this isn’t just news on the other side of the world; people in my community are grieving at the huge loss and huge worries they are experiencing. Most of us just go on with our business and complain about the rain. Or inflation. Or whatever.

It reminds me to be kind to everyone – you never know what they are going through. It reminds me to pay attention to those around me, especially men, who struggle at the best of times with complex feelings. And it reminds me to take the time for human connection and let some of the busy-ness of life take a backseat to what is truly important.

I hope one day soon we can welcome his family to Canada to keep them safe and help them thrive again.

This may be slight cultural appropriation but Eid Mubarak my friend – may you have joy, peace, and prosperity for you and your loved ones.

#luckyman #canadarocks #persiancanada