You are what you wear

My mother who is a strong believer of ‘you are what you wear” always taught us how to stay connected with cultural traditions, heritage, or pride. Whilst travelling around the world as diplomats children we were having the most invaluable experience to be brought up multicultural. We have hundreds of photos dressed gracefully in cultural attire, which we love to show off to friends and family. My mother taught us to feel the sense of loyalty to our heritage and to take pride in who we are. She also taught us to love the world and to “Be like a stream in generosity and succor,
And like the sun in tenderness and compassion,
Be like the night in covering the faults of others,
Like the dead in anger and irritability,
Be like the earth in humility and humbleness,
But like the sea in indulgence,
Either appear as you are or be as you appear.”
It is now my turn to pass down the love to the nation to my children to teach them to values of living a life as Turkish-Australian.
This poem from the mystical poet Mevlana.