In the Middle East, few of these children had ever met an American. They were leery at first and very shy. It took several hours of sitting with them before they finally opened up. But once they did, they shared their passions. One girl from an Iraqi orphanage loved dogs; another wanted to be an artist and shared with me the sketches she did of her friends. I played with the children for hours.

When I had to leave, a little boy asked me why I was being so nice to them. Then, another shy boy who never opened up wanted to know why I “pretended to be nice," angrily stating that he knew after I left I would bomb them. This reality made me feel awful. I looked into their sad eyes as I told them I loved them and would never forget them. After the teary-eyed good-bye ended, I left, still feeling troubled.

Simply speaking with the children in the Middle East healed personal wounds and built bridges. I let them know that not all Americans wanted to hurt them; many wanted to help. Some were shocked and could not believe it, others cried in relief, feeling safer. The outcome of the questions went far beyond getting answers; they were a way of connecting and mending hearts.

In Europe, I was surprised how free-spirited and adult-like the children were, very mature for their age. Many of them spoke several languages and had a great sense of fashion and art. They seemed intelligent and alive. They had many hopes and dreams and idolized American celebrities and their life styles.

In Asia, most of the children acted shy, hiding behind their mother’s skirts, but they flirted with me. Inevitably, they would peek out and flash a big smile. The Asian children are taught not to talk with strangers, and parents are very protective of their children – especially in China where for many years they were only allowed one child per couple. But after bribing some of the parents with gifts of pencils, blue jeans, and T-Shirts from Hollywood, they became more accommodating. And I discovered that their children really did want to talk, and had a lot to say.

I enjoyed seeing the little Japanese girls dressed up for wedding ceremonies. They looked like the most precious porcelain dolls in their tiny colorful kimonos. Overall, they were the most respectful and well behaved children I met abroad. They didn’t carry with them the heavy Middle Eastern mentality; the devastation of family members being killed, sent to war daily, nor the “live and let live” mentality I felt from the Europeans.

 

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