"Iran-adjacent" (Dad)

Turkey is one of the few places where Iranians don't need a visa to come and go which is convenient for Ladan's folks. They've been here for the past week or so and their reaction to Turkey's progress has been gracious but in a sad sort of way. We had no idea if they would love it or hate it but it's been a real pleasure seeing it through their eyes and with the benefit of their observations (and yes, they really like it). It's also been a little sad since Iran was well down the path to what Turkey has become even way back in the '70s. What a concept to have Iran as a modern nation acting as a responsible and democratic ally of the US. It never does any good to play the "what could have been" game but it's also pretty hard not to. It will be interesting to get the kids' reactions to Iran now that they have a new, non-US basis for comparison. I won't get to visit Iran with the family but perhaps I'll get to practice my Turkish on shopkeepers up and down the block (without embarrassing my children in the extreme).