Far from Home: Amna's Story

Amna's warmth, humor, and hospitality have touched many people in the small southern town where she lives. She and her husband work, raise their kids, and look out for their neighbors like any American family—but their journey to "ordinary" was anything but. Until a few years ago, home was a beautiful but war-torn country in the Mideast. Then Tariq's work to protect American VIPs put his and his family's lives at risk, and they had to flee. Although the long, complex process of asylum was successful, safety came at a painful cost: leaving behind everyone they loved. When her feelings grow too heavy, Amna writes them down.

Being far from home is a heavy weight on the heart. Every day I feel the distance from my beloved homeland, a place that isn't safe for us anymore. Keeping our kids safe will always be my first priority, and everything we do now is for them. But missing family and friends—the people who really know and see me and who know how to comfort me—is a physical ache sometimes.

Once you leave, you become a different person. Sometimes memories surface so vividly, they overwhelm me, as if my mind is trying to anchor me back to where I belong. In the middle of a busy day of working, cooking, and caring for the kids, suddenly I see the face of my father. His kind smile crinkles up the deep brown skin around his honey-colored eyes.

My father always understood why I couldn't come home. He used to call me and say, “Stay there. Take care of your kids.” But now that he is ill, it's painful not to be able to go take care of him. He has begun to lose his memory and get confused, but he still knows me. Every time he sees me on a video call he says, "I remember you!" He remembers me as a child, and I'm thankful we can still share those memories. He was my first hero.

One of my favorite memories with my dad is going out in the middle of the night to water our plants from the community irrigation stream. Each family had a short time to water, and if you missed it, you would have to wait until next time. Sometimes our turn came at three or four in the morning. After he woke me up, I would quickly make him something to eat, and then we’d walk together to the water stream.

In the middle of the night the world was dark and silent, with nothing around us except the sounds of wild animals and our quiet companionship. We would make a small fire to keep warm and brew some tea. I remember the scent of wood smoke mixing with the rich smell of the earth. I would sip hot tea, nibble on crispy bread, and watch the stars and the moon while my dad began his work.

After the garden was watered, we would sit for hours, laughing and talking until dawn. Then I would drift into my imaginary world, surrounded by silence and fresh air as the early morning sunlight warmed my face. In those moments my soul felt full and alive.

The pain of not being able to go to my dad is unbearable sometimes. Yet I have always been strong for him, and now I will be strong for my children. I will stay here for them, just as he stayed for me when I needed him most. I will pray for him, send him all my love, and hope that he can endure this illness and age with peace. I will carry all our memories with me, holding them close, until the day we meet again.

Many of my memories of home center on the taste of food. Whenever the weather grew cold or rainy, my mother would make a delicious chicken vegetable soup. We called it the Cold Dish because it was the best thing to eat on chilly nights. She would pick fresh vegetables from our garden and cook the soup for us to warm us. If any of us fell ill, she believed this simple meal could help us heal. And it did make us feel better, restoring both our strength and our spirits.

My mother's soup is a taste of home that I was able to bring with me and share with new friends. Recently, my sweet neighbor got sick, and I made sure to prepare this soup for her so she would feel better soon. I think I am being my mother’s daughter—whenever I want to show love for those I care about, I make food for them.

Amna's Vegetable and Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Onion, diced
• Chicken pieces (breast or any part, even with bone)
• Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, high-quality eggplant
• Small whole onions
• Garlic, sliced or minced
• Green chili (optional, to taste)
• Salt and light spices (optional: dried lime or special soup spices)
• Water, enough to cover vegetables
• Extra olive oil for drizzling
• Fresh lemon for serving

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, warm the olive oil and gently sauté the diced onion with the chicken pieces.
2. Before the onions brown, add the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, and eggplant. Stir the vegetables together and then mix in the small whole onions.
3. Pour in plenty of water, enough to cover the vegetables. Season the soup lightly with salt and the soup spices of your choice.
4. Cover the pot and let everything simmer gently until the vegetables are soft and the chicken fully cooked. Add more water if needed.
5. When the vegetables are tender, add the garlic and, if you like, a touch of green chili. Simmer ingredients just long enough to release their fragrance.
6. Turn off the heat, drizzle extra olive oil on top, and serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
7. Optional: You can add tiny pasta, cracked wheat, or rice before the garlic for extra texture, but the soul of this soup is in its simplicity.
8. For a silky version, blend the soup into a smooth, velvety puree.