Our stepmother was warm and inviting; she opened her embrace with the hope that we too could learn to love her. Many say she accepted us out of her  own need, that too was part of the plan. However, the truth is  she accepted us as her own children.

We, the tormented children of Greece ,who had no future in our own country.

Our elders, who were more knowledgeable than ourselves, advised us that the best we could do would be to leave our homeland (us, not them) They of course did not leave their cosy, secure niche of azure skies, embroidered landscapes and the familiar.

They managed to secure their place by strength and dominance. Yet, I tend to believe that we are stronger. We opened our wings to another horizon with only our logic and courage as  our weapons. Our greatest love, that of life, made us co-operative and tolerant of others. Consider that, even though our stepmother welcomed us, our step-brothers and sisters instantly showed us that we were not wanted and that we did not deserve or have the right to expect our stepmother to bestow her all on us. They  prefered not to share her vast lands and prosperity with their foreign  siblings. They  cajoled and pushed us, they did not want to understand us. In their narrow minds,there was no room for us - no love or warmth.

With what little help we could muster from our stepmother, we agonised, laboured, cried and suffered to bear our families and achieve some degree of success.

It is from this time, that our brothers and sisters fron our homeland began to think of us … the other children, with whom they were unable to share their bread. Now they thought they may be able to gain something from their “’wealthy’’ brothers and sisters. Their thinking running along the lines of, “Surely, after 20-30 years abroad, they have acquired plenty - more than they need.”

Ironically, about the same time, our stepbrothers and sisters began to view us in a more favourable light. Friendlier and even with some degree of jealousy.

How could we, the discarded souls, the weak, the lowly, have achieved so much.

We created a life and found a place in our stepmother’s society, without ever losing touch with or forgetting the culture and tranditions of our homeland.

How good it would be if we could all embrace our fellow man, whatever his colour, race or station in life. Only then would love and peace rule on this earth.

Unfortunately, man is still governed by the primitive beast which lives within.

Here lies the tragedy.

In truth, our stepmother has helped us considerably. We eat and drink as much as we desire and the rest we throw out. I cannot help but think of how many starving souls would live on what we waste. Souls like ours which suffered through the war.

Honestly, we need so little to survive and yet our insatiable appetites for all manner of things bloats our minds and bodies to unnatural proportions,  leaving us to seek the aid of physicians. Unfortunately, a physician cannot teach us the lesson of moderation, this we must learn ourselves.

A moderate approach to life is best, with a heart and mind willing to learn from, accept and love their brothers and sisters - be they “natural” or “step” .

 

Λίτσα Γκόγκα  
   
Reproduced with the permission 
O Logos December 2007/20thEdition