“Dear Witeny, I know you will back to America. So I send you a small gift made by myself a week ago. I remember one day, when I take 28 bus go out of school, I saw you take 10 bus to school, your face seemed sad, blank, and complicated. I hope you can be happy when you back to America. I love your smile :-). Also home is the most warm place for everyone. You must be happiness in the future.”
The first time I saw the note that would become my Red Cross cubicle’s first decoration, I put it away quickly and tried not to cry. But I kept pulling it out again and again, amazed that one of my youngest and least advanced students was able to articulate a few basic observations so succinctly. I was pretty sure I knew the sad, blank, complicated face she referenced. I agreed with her suggestion that I should be happy when I [went] back to America, but facing the prospect of a new city and another start from scratch, I wasn’t sure I could follow her command. “You must be happiness in the future.”
Turns out it’s difficult to avoid being happiness when your friends make you laugh until you cry on a regular basis, your job is fun, and an 11-month-old beams and shares his first word with you when you come home at night: “Hiiii!” Plus, I get to drive a Swagger Wagon pretty frequently, and that should make anyone happy. I’ve had the chance to enjoy live music, including my current favorite band, go to free museums and my first (pre-season) pro football game, and start a book club with some of the coolest ladies in Seattle.
The note is folded in half in a picture frame on my desk, reminding me to enjoy every moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment