Rachel and Hanan Talk Some More

This time Hanan and I talked about growing up. I asked her about her childhood and what was important to her as she became an adult.

She said it was important to dream big. "Each baby is born with a dream."
She said that each person was born for a purpose, and that it's vitally important to make goals and strive for your passions.
An interesting idea she tossed up is that everything is connected. You have to think toward the future but at the same time not be afraid to live the fullest you can in every moment.

She talked about what it was like growing up with all her brothers and sisters. Her mom wasn't an "educated person" so her family was encourage to pursue knowledge. Surprisingly, she said her parents didn't pressure them to be anything specific. They were also encouraged to find their passion. The only stipulation was to be the best you could be and succeed in your own way. You have to be true to yourself and what your dreams are. She stressed that you have to be honest with yourself and trust you experiences. She said self-acceptances makes happiness a lot easier to find.

Last time we met, we talked a little bit about first impressions, but I had to leave before we were finished. Hanan offered a quick bit of wisdom on this topic: "Judgement is a part of life, you just have to be gracious with it."

I also asked her if she had any favorite sayings. One was, "Work smart, don't work hard." The other was, "Time is money." She said when you lose a day you can't bring it back. She said time is valuable and needs to be used wisely. This seemed to be a little contradictory to her previous quotes, but she said when you're working smartly, it will never seem like hard work.

This was about the time Ryan showed up, tapping away on his phone. This began a passionate discussion about electronics. She said Ryan is addicted to them. Facebook, twitter, youtube, email, kik, the list goes on.  She thinks they block communicated between people you're actually with. She said being on an electronic device is just emotionally and physically different. We agreed they can be helpful, but she tries to spend no more than 2 hours a day on electronics because she thinks it stunts your people skills and awareness.  She said her nephew has an iPad, and she way just like, "Why? Just go outside.

I had to leave for a class, and she remembered she had brought me a gift. It was chap stick she had made from beeswax and honey. I thanked her, and with moisturized lips I bid her goodbye until next time.