We were invited to homes of relatives for lunches and dinners almost every day during our first few weeks, either in Tripoli or Khums. Regardless of their financial circumstances, every house we went to slaughtered a lamb in our honor, served us their best foods and gave Layla and me lovely gifts, often in the form of jewelry..."
THE LIBYAN
Esther Kofod
www.estherkofod.com
I don't think I shall ever again experience the phenomenal feeling of being so welcomed as I did in Libya. It is what I have missed most about living in America, but I hope I have retained some of that Libyan in me. Such epic hospitality can only be the result of a kind and generous culture. It is evident in the character and personalities of almost all the Libyans I have known.
It has always been my dream to return to Libya one day, to visit family and old friends, and meet the descendants of a man I shall always revere as my hero, my father-in-law. He epitomized to me the meaning of family. He was the force that held us all together, and without him, I fear that the familial thread will one day slowly start to unravel. Just as Libya is unraveling now...
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