I had kind of an epiphany while reading Khaled Hosseini's new book (title above). Hosseini writes about Afghan relationships and culture, most famously in The Kite Runner. This new novel is spread all over time and the world but all ties back to Afghanistan.
One son has grown up in Greece and left as soon and as far away as he could get. As a doctor, he ended up helping in war torn Kabul in the present time. The longer he is away from Greece and his mother, the harder it is to go back, and he avoids it for many years. When he finally goes back, he is shocked to learn his mother is proud of him and what he has done in the world.
A daughter born in San Francisco to Afghan parents grows up and is unable to leave home. As an only child, she feels she must see her mother threw her death of cancer as she was about to leave for college. She is then tied to her lonely father, who has dementia. He lost all his family in Afghanistan and came to the United States to start a restaurant and a new life. By the time the girl finds her father's sister, who was separated from the family at age four, he know longer has his mind to know who she is.
This made me think about how we don't or shouldn't own our children. Our best job is get them ready to go out into the world and be themselves. While staying home and caring for family is usually seen as an admirable thing, this novel kind of turned that idea on its head. I'm not sure that was Hosseini's intention but that is what I took from it. We are all responsible for the direction of our lives and there shouldn't be any guilt about living it the way we choose.
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