What Do We Bring?

I dreamed that I had to flee, vamoose, abandon ship—do the refugee thing. All of us, in my small dreamscape town had to do this. The place was going to be engulfed in flame. A raging conflagration that would incinerate everything in its path was headed our way.

Was this a war metaphor? Maybe the coming inferno was a placeholder for the shattered brained, boiling storm of Trump worshippers who threaten our country, our peace, our safety? Perhaps the approaching, mondo blaze represents all the rabid, frothing ditto-heads, now unleashed to rapaciously devour all in their path. Ya know, because GOD and shit.

There was only time to put together a small bag before hitting the road. No cars—we'd all be on foot so that’s all I could tote anyway. Imagine this—you have just 15 minutes to put all you’ll need or want into a kit the size of a middle schooler’s rucksack. You won’t be coming home from this journey—home won’t exist anymore—so you better choose wisely.

What to pack, what to pack?! My first thought was of clothes, meds and toiletries. Yea pragmatic me. And then I thought, I’ll need my camera, a sketchbook, my laptop. Is there room for photographs? If I bring these will I not have room for a sweater or my nice warm slippers?

THE CATS! Rocco could go in our one cat carrier. Coco would sit inside my coat. But what about their food?!

Yup, I woke in a stone panic. I wondered what the Syrian refugees brought with them.

From the Mercy Corps site:

Um Shadee, 50, and her family fled Homs, Syria more than a year ago. They left so quickly that they brought nothing with them but the clothes on their backs. She tells me that the most important thing she brought with her is her husband, Abu Shadee. Two of their seven children are with them now, but the other five are married and remained in Syria.

Abd Al Kareem and his family arrived in Jordan two years ago. He just finished a sports training program and hopes to learn more skills through the Mercy Corps’ partner program.

He’s wearing the clothes he was wearing when he crossed the border from Syria to Jordan. He fled the war with only the clothes on his back. “The clothes remind me of Syria, that’s why they are important to me.”

Khalid and his family fled bombings so quickly, they had no time to bring any material things with them. The most important thing Khalid brought with him is his family.

Salsabeel, 30, her three children, and her husband fled Syria after their home was destroyed. Salsabeel is a community leader in Mercy Corps’ conflict resolution program.

After their home was destroyed, they had nothing left to bring with them. Salsabeel’s children — her two girls and her son Hamza, 3, are everything she has now.

If I could only bring one thing with me, what would that be? The Amazing Bob of course.