Maryam Womenfound

On Monday morning every Persian parent I knew and their children were exhausted.

“Why” you ask? Syzdabedar was on Sunday and we all went to one park or another all across the US, to celebrate.

It happened also to be Easter Sunday.

The park my family, friends, kids and I attended was packed. Packed in the most tasteful way, with the most beautiful bunch of people ever. Persians are really gifted in many ways. The women were all dressed in bright colors and floating-around carefree, mingling with friends. The kids were all energetic and happy, running around shooting soccer balls, smashing bad-mitton birdies or just twirling merrily in the breeze. The men. Ah, Persian Men. Well, they were just men. Ever so coooool, drink in hand, just sauntering.... Once in a while a spontaneous soccer game would break out on the grass. Then the kids would join. Then the Moms would line the side-lines and cheer on the boys.

Eventually a few men began simmering the Daf and infusing the air with beautiful traditional Persian music for all to sink their souls into. Some of the women joined in to dance. Everywhere you looked, people were moving and shaking and smiling about. Michelle Obama would have been proud. Over on the side there was a small cluster of plastic Easter eggs and some clearly American kids, who were decidedly lighter than the massive collection of kids otherwise gathered, were 'hunting' them. My two year old (photographed) was desperately trying to get in on their action. "Oh yea, Easter", I thought while I tired to keep my son from snaping up all their eggs.

On Monday one of my kids had a neck ache from all the action the day before, my daughter had a back ache from attempting cart-wheels, and I was beat. I jokingly suggested to a friend that Syzdabedar should be on Saturday! She responded that Saturday would, in fact, have been closer to the actual 13 date and wouldn't have conflicted with Easter. "But", she noted, "there weren't that many Americans there".

Hmmm, "considering we were in America", I retorted, "there were very few!"

Just a funny story.

Best, Maryam.

Proud to be Persian...