Though I do my best to keep out of the local press (since they rarely get the story right), it�s not always possible. I guess this one I could have stopped, but the people who asked my permission to have it published, needed it in order for their wounds to heal. Following the story, I will give you a little more insight as to how all this came about.
Shnorhagalootyoon (Thank You)
By Garine Dadamyan
Amaras (Martuni�s government weekly newspaper)
January 12, 2002
�A Remembrance from Mr. Manoogian� is written on the headstone of Geghanik Muradian, that�s Geghanik, who died in 2001 by electrocution.
Grief-stricken for days, with tears in her eyes, Geghankik�s mother came to the editorial office. She did not come to protest, as so many are doing these days, but by means of the newspaper to express her thanks to that man, who extended a helping hand when her family found itself in the direst social and spiritual situation. The comment refers to Ara Manoogian, the American Ara. During our interview, Mother Sveta told me that Ara was keeping their family within his attention perhaps during the past years. Last New Year�s night, the Muradians received a parcel from Father Winter. After some time passed, it became evident that Father Winter was Ara himself, who, being familiar with the family�s situation, decided to make them happy.
With the Artsakh movement, the Muradians moved to Martuni from Baku. And as many have testified, together with Mother Sveta, from the very first day, Genadik, as we liked to call him, endured the slings and arrows of war until the end, the Day of Victory. He participated in many battles, in which he was conspicuous as an excellent soldier, a loyal friend, and a reliable man. �Artsakh was not my son�s homeland,� says his mother. �It is mine, but my Baku born son fought like a true patriot until the end.�
And after so much, at the most difficult moment for the family, the outsider, Ara, extended his hand. �During the funeral he gave $100, for the 40-day requiem he gave $50, and until now he is helping, he comes, he is interested,� says Genadik�s mother.
The homeland soldier�s three children find themselves today in extremely serious condition. However, they are always under the watchful eye of Ara, under the sponsorship of the one who extended a timely hand.
We join Genadik Muratian�s mother, Sveta Muradian, in expressing thanks to the benevolent Ara, who found the possibility of giving hope and faith to one family and to extend a saving hand to three orphaned children.
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As proud as I should feel for such stories to be printed, I feel more fear as to the many phone calls and visits I can expect asking me to be Father Winter to other equally needy families. When I offered to pay for Genadik�s grave stone, my objections to having my name put on it too were not culturally cohesive. After giving into the name on the gravestone, it was not too difficult to agree on the article. Though I really had no idea as to what was going to be in the article (I was expecting worse), I had asked that something be included to establish that Geno (which is what his friends use to call him, which I happen to be one of), was just that, a friend of mine. Not to say that I haven�t helped other people in their time of need, but Geno was someone I knew when he was alive and to me, he was a really nice guy that I had respect for. You remember a couple of logs ago when I wrote about me fighting with my logical, resourceful and reasonable side? Well the part when I answer to God, is what I imagine Geno said. That�s the kind of guy he was in my eyes (for those of you that know me, you know I don�t classify too many people this way). I know other people that have died, leaving their family in a similar situation, but not to be disrespectful to the dead, they could never in my eyes come close to having been like Geno was. I mean at a funeral when people are talking about the person that died and they are only saying good things, and to yourself your wondering if you came to the right funeral, because the person you knew and the one people are talking about are not the same? Well at Geno�s funeral people were talking about him and no one had to spice things up to make him sound like when he was alive that he was a nice guy, cause he really was. Taking all I�ve said into consideration and then adding the way Geno died, would motivate anyone of you to mortgage your house if need be and help Geno�s family out. I won�t get into the details right now and will save the Geno story for the first anniversary of when he was killed, which was February 14, 2001. In the meantime, consult with your bank, as I guarantee you, you really are going to want to help them out. They certainly are deserving and raising 3 children on an almost non-existent pension is very difficult and Father Winter can only do so much.
Shnorhagalootyoon (Thank You)
By Garine Dadamyan
Amaras (Martuni�s government weekly newspaper)
January 12, 2002
�A Remembrance from Mr. Manoogian� is written on the headstone of Geghanik Muradian, that�s Geghanik, who died in 2001 by electrocution.
Grief-stricken for days, with tears in her eyes, Geghankik�s mother came to the editorial office. She did not come to protest, as so many are doing these days, but by means of the newspaper to express her thanks to that man, who extended a helping hand when her family found itself in the direst social and spiritual situation. The comment refers to Ara Manoogian, the American Ara. During our interview, Mother Sveta told me that Ara was keeping their family within his attention perhaps during the past years. Last New Year�s night, the Muradians received a parcel from Father Winter. After some time passed, it became evident that Father Winter was Ara himself, who, being familiar with the family�s situation, decided to make them happy.
With the Artsakh movement, the Muradians moved to Martuni from Baku. And as many have testified, together with Mother Sveta, from the very first day, Genadik, as we liked to call him, endured the slings and arrows of war until the end, the Day of Victory. He participated in many battles, in which he was conspicuous as an excellent soldier, a loyal friend, and a reliable man. �Artsakh was not my son�s homeland,� says his mother. �It is mine, but my Baku born son fought like a true patriot until the end.�
And after so much, at the most difficult moment for the family, the outsider, Ara, extended his hand. �During the funeral he gave $100, for the 40-day requiem he gave $50, and until now he is helping, he comes, he is interested,� says Genadik�s mother.
The homeland soldier�s three children find themselves today in extremely serious condition. However, they are always under the watchful eye of Ara, under the sponsorship of the one who extended a timely hand.
We join Genadik Muratian�s mother, Sveta Muradian, in expressing thanks to the benevolent Ara, who found the possibility of giving hope and faith to one family and to extend a saving hand to three orphaned children.
###
As proud as I should feel for such stories to be printed, I feel more fear as to the many phone calls and visits I can expect asking me to be Father Winter to other equally needy families. When I offered to pay for Genadik�s grave stone, my objections to having my name put on it too were not culturally cohesive. After giving into the name on the gravestone, it was not too difficult to agree on the article. Though I really had no idea as to what was going to be in the article (I was expecting worse), I had asked that something be included to establish that Geno (which is what his friends use to call him, which I happen to be one of), was just that, a friend of mine. Not to say that I haven�t helped other people in their time of need, but Geno was someone I knew when he was alive and to me, he was a really nice guy that I had respect for. You remember a couple of logs ago when I wrote about me fighting with my logical, resourceful and reasonable side? Well the part when I answer to God, is what I imagine Geno said. That�s the kind of guy he was in my eyes (for those of you that know me, you know I don�t classify too many people this way). I know other people that have died, leaving their family in a similar situation, but not to be disrespectful to the dead, they could never in my eyes come close to having been like Geno was. I mean at a funeral when people are talking about the person that died and they are only saying good things, and to yourself your wondering if you came to the right funeral, because the person you knew and the one people are talking about are not the same? Well at Geno�s funeral people were talking about him and no one had to spice things up to make him sound like when he was alive that he was a nice guy, cause he really was. Taking all I�ve said into consideration and then adding the way Geno died, would motivate anyone of you to mortgage your house if need be and help Geno�s family out. I won�t get into the details right now and will save the Geno story for the first anniversary of when he was killed, which was February 14, 2001. In the meantime, consult with your bank, as I guarantee you, you really are going to want to help them out. They certainly are deserving and raising 3 children on an almost non-existent pension is very difficult and Father Winter can only do so much.
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