Falling for Fall Break

I LOVE FALL BREAK! I spent the weekend at various church events and had a potluck with friends and coworkers. Yesterday, I went to morning mass and then hung out with the refugee elders at Catholic Charities. The rest of the week I plan on watching TV, going to the gym, and spending time with my friend Bilin (visiting from Peoria).

The elders are the cutest things known to man. One man from Iran and another one from Somalia spent time practicing a skit for their upcoming talent show. The two are George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The skit is a little hard to understand, but they are both dedicated to the performance and I'm sure it'll turn out wonderfully. After watching them practice, the elders learned about the United States' government. Part of the lesson included identifying pictures of America's first leaders. One guy (from Iran) joked with a woman (from Somalia) that the guy in the picture was her husband. While she didn't get the joke at first, the Americans in the room cracked up laughing. Her husband, you see, is playing Thomas Jefferson in the skit. After a few minutes of explaining and pointing and laughing, finally she got the joke. The 3 hour class was filled with smiles, celebration, friendship, and learning. Really, it was beautiful. Another woman got a call at the beginning of the class from her children. They had landed in D.C. and were calling to tell her that they'd be arriving in Nashville that night. She and 2 of her children came from the Congo 5 years ago, while her 2 other children stayed behind. Finally, Marie Clare gets to see her "babies." The joy she felt filled the room and many of us had tears in our eyes. While the elders are from different countries, speak different languages, and have had very different lives, they are all connected because of their status as refugees. When she shared her news, everyone celebrated. The support the elders give each other (even when they can't communicate in words) is beautiful. It reminded me that support and love can be expressed in very basic ways. Omar saying to Marie Clare, "So happy," and smiling was just as powerful as any other long list of congratulatory words.

Since it is fall break, my coworker's parents are in town from New Orleans. Last night, they took me out to dinner at Brick Top in West Nashville. We had a beautiful meal and conversation. It was nice to connect with my coworker's parents. I think seeing where she has come from will help me understand and support her even more. Her parents have generous and supportive hearts.

With two very different groups of people, I was reminded that humans are good, loving creatures. When humans love and share it with others, life becomes magical.

Paz y amor