This article grew out of a conversation between Gabi Miranda and Ms. Hashmi about how the current conflict is affecting her family. The interview was later developed into this piece, with Maggie helping shape and finalize the text for publication in The Talon.

For most students, Ms. Hashmi is a familiar presence in the hallways. As assistant principal, she spends her days moving between meetings, helping students, solving problems and keeping the school day running smoothly. But in the past few days, the news has been harder to ignore. With the recent escalation of conflict involving Iran, what normally feels like distant geopolitics has suddenly become personal for her. Ms. Hashmi has family and close friends in Bahrain, a place where the tension in the region is being felt in everyday life.

“Honestly, I have a lot of anxiety around it,” she says. Her mother is currently there. She adds “My mom’s stuck there and my best friend as well… we’re all really worried,” she explains, and adds “I’m calling her every day.” For many of us, war shows up as headlines, short clips on social media, or notifications between classes. But when family members are there, the experience feels very different.

What has it been like watching the news while knowing people you love are there?

It does feel a bit surreal, especially when I see places that I was literally at two months ago… and now they’re on fire. My mom sent that to me, like, “Look, this is where you were.”

Has this situation brought back memories from earlier in your life?

Yes, it’s bringing back a lot of memories for me because I actually was in Bahrain in the first Gulf War in 1991. I was in primary school, and I have really strong memories of air raid sirens and carrying a gas mask to school every day. (…) I never thought I would be experiencing this again. And I’m really lucky because I’m here. I’m pretty much as far as you can get.

How has this affected your day-to-day life here?

I’m trying to put a brave face on it, but I have this constant low hum of worry and anxiety. I’m finding it really difficult to concentrate. Yesterday I just sat and stared at my laptop. I just couldn’t. I can’t focus at the moment.

Do you find yourself constantly checking the news?

Yes, every time I go into my laptop, when I should be doing work, I end up scrolling the news. And I keep obsessively checking my WhatsApp just to make sure everyone’s okay.

The timing of the conflict has also made the situation especially painful for many families in the region. It is Ramadan. This is a time that I would normally traditionally spend with a lot of joy. But people are trying to fast and break their fasts while they’ve suddenly been catapulted into a war.

What do you think people who are far away from the conflict often misunderstand?

This isn’t just like what people think, like, oh, it’s just out in the distance. No, it’s present in people’s lives. I don’t think the media is particularly focused on what the everyday person is going through.

What do you wish people remembered when they see these conflicts in the news?

Nobody in Bahrain or the Emirates has asked for this. Nobody is in favor of this. In the end, people actually all want the same thing. They want to make money, they want a roof over their heads, they want food on their table, and they want their children to be safe.

Listening to Ms. Hashmi makes one thing clear: conflicts that appear distant in the news are never really distant for the people living through them. Behind every headline are families, routines and everyday lives suddenly interrupted. And sometimes those stories are closer than we think. They belong to people we see in the hallways every day.