Even though my family lives on the edges and outside the norms of the Chaldean community—we are progressives, political dissidents, and nonchurchgoers—the concept of aeb was deeply ingrained in us. My mom still talked about aeb. My dad did too. Aeb is the reason I started eating meat, so I wouldn’t insult Elliott’s mom with rude and ungrateful behavior. It’s serious in our culture—and hard to ignore.
