"...We could see them [the Taliban soldiers] setting fire to houses on the hills around the village. We escaped before they captured our village. There were a lot of families, all running away from the Taliban. We all walked together until we got to Faizabad...To begin with we were given food by Concern and other people sometimes. But the food has run out and we haven't … [Read more...] about Concern In Afghanistan
Personal relationships
Paddy’s Gold
In my father's town, Carndonagh, County Donegal, Ireland, market day still goes on in a muddy field, behind "the diamond," the town center, a ritual preceding memory. I walked down to it just the once, because he wanted me to see it. Young cows and bullocks and sheep and pigs mill about in the damp, gray early morning. The steam rising from their manure piles and urine puddles … [Read more...] about Paddy’s Gold
Marrying Madness
Marriage is back in fashion. According to The Irish Voice, more Irish couples are preparing to wed than ever before. In 1999, more than 18,500 couples married in either religious or civil ceremonies, up from 15,000 in 1995. Last year's figures are expected to be even better as many couples scheduled their weddings for the millennium year. Marriage counselors are struggling … [Read more...] about Marrying Madness
Coming Home
I always imagined my wedding as a beautiful and romantic event: My dad would walk me down the aisle, my brother would be a groomsman, and my very best friends would be there standing up for me. The "who" was easy. But when John and I got engaged in August of 1996, the "where" and "when" of our plans did not take shape so effortlessly. I hadn't lived in my hometown in … [Read more...] about Coming Home