The Cycle

Can we break from the cycle,

that was started long before you and I were born,

which has been pushed along for so long,

no one knows any longer what for?

The first story was shared during a short taxi ride,

we had exchanged very few words,

yet felt like we had known each other for a lifetime.

This teacher explained that her husband and her agreed

its best not to tell their son

that these stories of enemies and hate is wrong

for it will only create a traumatic childhood.

Its easy for one to judge this teacher and her husband

and point out their wrong.

You see, we all go through this cycle of trauma unwillingly.

This child will need to learn these hateful lessons in school

the way his parents once did.

If he is lucky, he will not carry too much of the hate, 

and may become one of the leaders to end this cycle of hate.

The teacher recalled the day she personally met an "other",

described it as traumatic.

Today, she teaches alternative lessons about Armenian history

and aims to develop critical thinking skills.

The second story is about an educator, 

who, after hearing about my research,

recalled her days as a student abroad.

Her classmate was Azerbaijani

who became one of her best friends.

They kept in touch over the years,

showed each other compassion and sincerity.

During the educator's return visit many years later,

she spends time with her Azerbaijani best friend and their family.

It was clearly a joyous reunion with a barbecue, return to their school, 

and other sites they visited together.

Will we ever break from this cycle, 

that has lasted for so long,

for some of us, memories of de- and re-humanizing the "other" are within the same lifetime, and

for others, re-humanizing is still too hard to let go?