Remembrance

Today was Armenian Genocide Day.

This is a day that I hold near my heart, as my grandfather died during the religious and political persecution of Armenian Christians that went on for many years, but is highlighted by the arrest and execution of 250 Armenian intellectuals on this date in 1915.

Although I cannot confirm this, I do know that my grandfather, Jacob Hagopian, was often in Constantinople, and was one of the Armenians accepted into the Young Turks. His death was swift and brutal, and I imagine that he was most likely one of those unlucky 250 men arrested that day.

Many of my family members were killed, abused sexually, and sent to concentration camps run by the Ottoman Empire. Deprived of food and water, many of them ended up in the deserts of Syria.

Between 600,000 and 1.8 million Armenians died at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, yet this genocide is still disputed by Turkey.

Although I chose to forgive the actions of those who killed and abused my family, I also will never forget what my grandmother did to save her two sons, and somehow managed to make it to America. Fortunately, my two aunts were spared and eventually joined them.

Today, I happened upon these unusual white Bleeding Hearts. They spoke to me of purity and love.

A day to remember where I came from and how that has shaped my life.