35 Tomatoes, 69 Cucumbers, 37 Oranges, & 60 Cookies. A total of 201 items.
We recently invited our friend Mohammad and his family (three daughters & his wife) to our house for lunch. Our experience living in Jordan has proven that Jordanians are some of the most generous and hospitable people. The personal stories of generosity and those of our guests traveling to Jordan occur frequently. Sometimes you actually get accustomed to the generosity and it slowly fades into just being a part of living in the culture. Until this day.
After greeting Mohammad and his family, he opened his car trunk and began to unload gifts to our family. Mohammad lives in a farming community in the north of Jordan, so when we see him we are often given fresh produce; olives, za’atar, and my son’s favorite, pomegranates. However, this day he seemed to never stop pulling crates of fruit and vegetables out of his car.
It’s an honoring and humbling experience to be shown such generosity. When Mohammad and his family left later that afternoon, out of curiosity I began to count the number of items.
35 Tomatoes, 69 Cucumbers, 37 Oranges, & 60 Cookies.
When was the last time you were given 201 things? Comment below, we would love to hear your stories of generosity experienced while traveling among other cultures.
