How "The Boy On The Beach" Can Teach

Stories have a way to bring people into the life of another, to vicariously experience something that they may never be able to otherwise, and thus, to be inspired by what others have been through as well as learn from them. The words written on the pages of this book, The Boy On The Beach by Tima Kurdi, does just that, bringing its reader back to the basics of life. Tima Kurdi takes you to another world, a world of war and agony, drawing you into her family’s experiences that no human should ever have to endure, but gently reminding you of what so many people today forget; that in life love conquers all and family matters most. I am grateful to Tima for being willing to relive and express the challenges her family has faced in the last 6 years in order to speak a greater message to the world.

As an educator, this book has many takeaways. As a person, this book has countless more takeaways. To start, as a teacher, particularly myself who has an immense passion to work with Syrian refugees in the school system, this book has helped me recognize at a deeper and more authentic level what these brave individuals have been through. I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to live in their shoes, what they have endured to come to Canada, or even the struggles that come along with adjusting to a new country when safe haven has been reached. Prior to hearing the many stories in this book I understood at a basic level what my students and many others have been through. Admittedly, I should have tried harder to understand the war, their culture and all that it took for them to get here. Instead of understanding, all I had was a passion to work alongside them, I saw their trauma and pain come out in the classroom through behavioural issues and academic struggles, yet did not strive to understand the root of their behaviour. I can now see that the first stepping stone in working with refugees is understanding. For if I do not understand and hear their stories how can I ever come alongside to support and teach with compassion, empathy and effectiveness? I can now see that as Syrian students enter the Canadian schools they often do not know the language, they are bullied, and they carry the fears that they adopted when living in a war-stricken country with them, everywhere they go. Kurdi writes of her nephew, Abdulrahman, and his experience adjusting to school: “He was bullied at school by a handful of teenagers. ‘Go back to Syria, you terrorist!’ they taunted. ‘Auntie, they say we’re bad people,’ he once said when we talked on the phone. ‘Why don’t they understand that we’re here because we’re peaceful? That we’re here to escape violence and war. That we’re just looking for a safe place to live?’” (p.228). This piece broke my heart, as it demonstrated the insensitivity of others. Kurdi also describes often how when her nieces and nephews were having to work in sweatshop factories to provide for their families who were struggling to make ends meet as they fled Syria into Turkey, she would ask them what they wanted. Often, they just wanted to go back to school. These two things in particular made me wonder, as a teacher who receives these students as they come to Canada and get to go back to school, how can I make this process enjoyable for them? How can I relinquish the many fears that they come with, to have them wanting to come back to school each day in a new country? I believe that a school is only as good as the community it fosters; the academics will come, but it is the surrounding community that encourages or discourages authentic learning to occur, as the students enjoy being with one another and they feel safe. That is where I will start. I want to build a community that doesn't just accept them, but welcomes these students and invites them in, celebrating differences, a community that helps them in any way possible, and despite a language barrier builds genuine relationship with them. In the face of trauma and fear, if loving one another is the priority I think these characteristics can be overturned. Love conquers all.

As a person, the numerous thought provoking moments this book brings is what makes it so beautiful to read. I paused and put my book down at many points, thinking of her words, and what they teach. We, in North America, those who are considered fortunate, have much to learn from others around the world, who have less money and are considered less fortunate. In my opinion, despite their many hardships, they live their lives with much more contentment and joy than we do, I think that makes them more fortunate. To elaborate further, in the beginning of her book Tima Kurdi talks of her life growing up in Syria, of the Jasmine that grew everywhere, and the beautiful home-life that her parents built. The foundation of their home was built on love, and generosity. Their home was always full of people they had welcomed in to feed and care for, despite their own financial situation, they never turned down the opportunity to help another. Her father (and now her whole family) are firm believers that you don’t go poor, or lose anything by helping others. This generous and loving spirit never faltered despite the war and their struggles to stay alive. What I am noticing is the vast difference between North America and many other places around the world. How many of us here, who have beyond more than what we need still seek more, newer and faster. How many of us here, who have a roof over our head and peace outside our front doors, keep our doors closed to those who need our help. I am always blown away when I read books, or have done humanitarian work with the marginalized by how those who have next to nothing, get it. They understand the important things in life that we often forget. That it is not money, a big house, a new car, an impressive job or the latest iPhone that bring a good life, but it is basic principles that love conquers all and family matters most. I love this quote that Tima’s brother, Abdullah, who lost his wife and two boys in an attempt to escape the war and seek freedom said that holds so much truth: “What I have learned is that it doesn’t matter if you have no money and you live in a shed eating lentils. All that matters is that your family is there, that you have love. Love gives us strength and power to forget the suffering and pain. Tell the people. Tell them nothing else matters. We don’t thank God enough for all the things we have. We want more and more things. I would trade anything to be with my family again, even in a refugee camp” (p.232). I hope to learn from this book, that how the Syrian people love and care for one another so well, how brave they are as they have endured war and adjusted to all that life has thrown their way. If I can live half as content and caring as them I would be pleased. I hope that the lessons that overflow out of this book will continue to challenge me, how I live and love, to help make me a better individual and educator, and for all those that read it also. I leave with a final quote that Tima Kurdi writes as she closes her book: “I hope that by reading my family’s story, you will be able to see that we are all essentially the same: we all dream of healthy, peaceful, safe lives for the ones we love. People are more important than money or power. We are more similar than we are different, and we are stronger when united” (p.233). I hope that my classroom and my home can reflect these fundamentally beautiful values.