Садржај
We can love two countries at the same time
Even though I was born in France, I also feel Lebanese since all my family comes from there. When my two daughters were born, the first place we visited was the town hall, to get passports. It is quite possible to have two cultural identities and love two countries at the same time, just as we love both parents. The same goes for the language. I speak with Noor and Reem in French, and with my husband French and Lebanese. So that they also learn to speak Lebanese, to write it, to read it and to get to know the culture of their ancestors, we are considering enrolling our daughters in a Lebanese school on Wednesdays.
After childbirth, we offer meghli to the mother
I have had two wonderful pregnancies and deliveries, vaguely and without complications. The little ones have never had a problem with sleeping, colic, teeth… and so I didn’t need to look for traditional remedies from Lebanon, and I know that I could count on my mother-in-law.
and my aunts who live in Lebanon to help me cook them. For the birth of the daughters, my mother and my cousin prepared meghli, a spice pudding with pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts that help the mother regain energy. Its brown color refers to the land and fertility.
The meghli recipe
Mix 150 g of rice powder, 200 g of sugar, 1 or 2 tbsp. to c. caraway and 1 or 2 tbsp. to s. ground cinnamon in a saucepan. Gradually add water, whisking until it boils and thickens (5 min). Serve chilled with grated coconut on it and dried fruits: pistachios …
My daughters love both Lebanese and French dishes
Immediately after the births, we left for Lebanon where I lived two long and peaceful maternity leaves in our family home in the mountains. It was summer in Beirut, it was very hot and humid, but in the mountains, we were sheltered from the stifling heat. Every morning, I would wake up at 6 a.m. with my daughters and appreciate the absolute calm: the day rises very early at home and all nature wakes up with it. I gave them their first bottle in the fresh air, enjoying the sunrise and enjoying the view of the mountains on one side, the sea on the other, and the song of the birds. We got the girls used to eating all our traditional dishes very early on and in Paris, we taste Lebanese dishes almost every day, very complete for children, because always with a base of rice, vegetables, chicken or fish. They love it, as much as French pains au chocolat, meat, fries or pasta.
Regarding the care of the girls, we take care exclusively of my husband and me. Otherwise, we are lucky to be able to count on my parents or my cousins. We never used a nanny. Lebanese families are very present and very involved in the education of children. It is true that in Lebanon, those around them also tend to get involved a lot: “don’t do if, don’t do that, do it like that, be careful…! For example, I decided not to breastfeed, and heard comments like: “If you don’t breastfeed your baby, he is not going to love you”. But I ignored this type of remark and always followed my intuition. When I became a mother, I was already a mature woman and I knew very well what I wanted for my daughters.