In recent months Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon bombed each other only a few miles from my Lebanese family. At this moment there is a ceasefire agreement.
This is a Christmas Story that happened in December 2022 during a peaceful time in Lebanon with its struggling economy. I found a safe window of travel to visit my recently acquired surrogate family. This includes the 5 children of Sami Saad, the Lebanese friend and merchant who became like a brother to me in my Liberian village in 1971. I dedicated 2 chapters to him in my memoir. I tell how his family adopted me in an earlier blog called Unfettered Love Part I.
Sami’s family is of the Druze faith of which the country is predominantly Muslim. The Druze do not celebrate holidays that many of us are accustomed to. Here I am with Sami’s wife, Ciham, and his eldest son, Samer.
Despite the Muslim culture, my 12-day stay over Christmas and New Year, found holiday lights in some homes, decorations downtown and the main plazas, and a Santa Claus at the only big mall in Beirut. However, this holiday season with Sami’s family had nothing to do with materialistic gifts. It was all about love and family that surrounded me during my visit. Despite the holiday opulence that we saw everywhere in the mall as depicted below, little Sami left the mall with only Alissa in the cart. No gifts.
Instead of gifts, we ate, danced, and celebrated Christmas. I was elated with this wonderful tradition as a fake miniature Christmas tree twinkled in the corner of each family home.
All of the family except Sami’s wife (Ciham) spoke various proficiencies of English, but we communicated without a problem. The beauty of not understanding the Arabic language allowed me to observe. Here I am with Samer.
I have never experienced anything like this middle-class family and their life in Lebanon. It reminds me more of Liberia than the U.S. Life is hard there, yet the smiles, hugs, and kisses kept coming.
Hugs not only to me as the novelty visitor, but to each other. Here I am with Susan, my namesake, and Ciham.
The photos show the stark contrast between the 1% and the 99%. The 1% can afford anything at the mall in the photos above. The 99% are like my Lebanese family with only three hours of electricity per day and living paycheck to paycheck. During the day we all gathered in the kitchen with a wood-burning stove, the only source of heat in the house in the winter. My bedroom room was 55 degrees at night. One evening 17 of us sat around the warm stove in this small kitchen visiting and having coffee and snacks.
From me and my wonderful Lebanese family, we wish you a happy holiday season to those around the world. Send peace and love to the people in Lebanon and around this war-torn region.
Susan E. Greisen 
Hi Susan, wh
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