Encouragement

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From The Heart
© 2008

by


Stephen A. Peterson


During the summer of 2006, a young Iraqi girl and her father made their way to the American compound to see Marine Second Lieutenant Phoebe Watkins.

She was carrying some exquisite material as she walked just behind her father. They arrived at the Marine compound and permitted to enter. Although neither she nor her father could speak English, Lieutenant Watkins could understand by their gestures that she wanted the Lieutenant to make her a beautiful wedding dress. This unusual situation between two cultures arose when Lieutenant Watkins helped another young Iraqi women design her wedding dress a little more than a month before. Lieutenant Watkins, a college graduate majoring in fashion design from Oklahoma State University, took as a friendly gesture and to do her part to advance good will between the United States military and the Iraqi people took on these projects. She did so cheerfully.

After Lieutenant Watkins nodded her approval to the woman and her father, she began measuring her to begin the dress making process.

Within ten days the dress was finished, the young woman came to see Lieutenant Watkins for her final fitting. Her father’s expression of approval needed no words. She was beautiful by any cultural measure. She turned from the mirror, gave Lieutenant Watkins a hug and went into a lengthy speech in Arabic. Her father, likewise, did the same.

Lieutenant Watkins heard the father and daughter out, nodding now and then though she didn’t know any Arabic. With the young woman and her father had left, Lieutenant Watkins’ Commanding Officer asked her, “Lieutenant, why did you let her and her father go on and on when you didn’t understand a word they were saying?”

Lieutenant Watkins simply said, “You’re right, sir. I don’t know any Arabic. But when someone speaks from their heart, regardless of their language, I understand, sir. And by this and any other projects I may have, I hope I’m advancing my God, my country and good will among people. That’s my hope and prayer, sir!”

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