Armenians have three comments for me no matter what:
1. You've gotten skinny.
2. Why didn't you bring your husband?
3. Are you pregnant?
It's not just me, observations about weight and family status are top conversation topics for Armenians. Telling someone they look fat or skinny is like telling someone it might rain today. It's just a topic of discussion.
My host mother, Heriknaz, is worried about Dominic and I. I didn't have the guts to explain family planning or how in America the norm is to wait for a bit between the wedding and pregnancy, so she just thinks we have a problem. In the typical Armenian village, the wife can get pregnant as soon as her wedding night so the very idea that someone could be happily married for almost three years and not have children is pretty unbelievable for dear Herikaz.
So, Heriknaz took it upon herself to combat my issues herself. A true tatik, (grandmother) she fed me constantly and purposely prepared only my favorite Armenian dishes. We went to four different churches to light candles and pray that I might return to America and have a baby. She was a woman on a mission.
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| Sara (held by dad Gevorg) is enjoying the church tradition. Heriknaz (right) is all business. |
You can't tell in the photo above, but she's asking the Lord to give Dominic and I a baby boy this month. The prayers are specific, direct and hopeful. I love her for dedication.
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