People come to the Middle East for many different reasons. Many from the Philippines, various African countries and surrounding Islamic countries for the chance to make a decent salary to send home to their families. Sometimes their families come too, but you have to make a certain salary for that to be allowed, so most of the time they don't. Many of these people find work cleaning houses and raising other people's children or driving a taxi or construction work. One result is that anytime we are in public we come in contact with people like this who are homesick and missing their families, especially if they have children they've left behind. These are the people who usually try to talk to our kids or smile at them or want to shake their hands.

I have to admit that I don't always look fondly at my housework or whining kids, but now I see it from a different perspective. It's a blessing to be able to do my own housework for my own family. How can I complain about dirty dishes when they represent abundance? I get to wash my own instead of washing dishes for another person to support my family. It's a blessing to be able to choose to serve the people I love instead of having to serve others out of necessity. Holding my crying kid is a privilege. I know I will love him/her no matter what, who else could do my job like that? I certainly don't want someone else holding my crying child, or want to take care of someone else's kids for pay while missing my own. Their training is my most important work.

To the many people who must leave your families in order to support them, thank you for perspective. May you be reunited quickly.