by Emily Sudd
Sarah & Emily
When I think of Sarah, I think of the smell of pine trees, outdoor showers, and a warm summer breeze. I met Sarah in 5th grade when she first came to my school, and we were immediately inseparable. For years, I spent every weekend at her house in Topanga Canyon. We usually wasted the days scrambling around in the canyons. I can’t even remember what was so amusing about it, but we were endlessly entertained by hiking. We would have stayed out on the hillsides for days if we could.
During the summer, we sometimes went to the beach just over Malibu Canyon. I remember Sarah with her legs up on the dashboard singing along to some indie rock something with the windows rolled all the way down and the summer breeze flowing through the car. We spent the nights doing who knows what?…blasting music and dancing around the house, talking, reading ghost stories to each other, playing cards….every weekend was a slumber party.
Party with Sarah, Emily & friends.
Sarah and I always shared a certain appreciation for nature, and I can only imagine that had I been with her on this trip, we would have gone hiking. And, I could have been on this trip. Although we hadn’t spoken much in recent years, we were in touch recently. My husband and I were talking about taking a trip out to Syria to visit Sarah and Shane. In the last email I received from Sarah, she was excited about her new teaching job at the American Language School in Damascus and she let me know that unfortunately, that job meant she had little vacation time. July 23rd to Aug 2nd would be a good time to go visit, she said. She didn’t know what they would be doing, “maybe rent a car and drive across Syria to Turkey? Maybe die of heat stroke riding camels to Lebanon across Wadi Rum in Jordan? Either way, you lucky bastards are invited to join us! HA!”
Sarah will always be like a sister to me. She is a beautiful person, one who has touched my life deeply, and many others, I am certain. She has inspired me to be a better person. She has been a source of strength for me in difficult times. I desperately want to know that she is safe and well. I want her home and free.
Please join me in working towards the release of Sarah and her companions by signing the petition and helping to get the word out.
Please stand behind these young people by signing the petition to the Iranian government for their release on humanitarian grounds. Jp Barnes
I can’t imagine the pain that the family’s are going through right now. I don’t know if I would be able to handle something like this if it were my son, daughter, sister, brother or friend. My prayers are with all three hikers and their family’s daily. God Bless you all and please keep the faith.
Nice article thank you for sharing!