Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is not nearly as commercialized here as it is back home.  Part of me was very thankful for that and part of me missed it dearly.  I love watching the kids pass out cards to one another and giving and receiving cards with loved ones, and I must admit that I missed that bit of it.  I did not, for quite possibly the first time in my life, mail a single card.  Don't worry, I haven't changed all that much though!  I still wore my pink pants (although I had to be careful and call them my pink trousers!) and my heart earrings, I made heart-shaped cookies and I gave out loads of hugs and kisses (the chocolate kind, of course!).

This evening, I also had a very different Valentine's night.  Tonight, I chaperoned a group of year 6 and 7 (10-12 year olds) to a theater production of a much-loved story, Goodnight Mister Tom.  This story is well-known here, but I had never heard of it before.  As most great stories, it started as a book, then has been written as a play and a film.  It tells the story of a boy, evacuated from London during World War II, who goes to live with "Mr. Tom."  The poignant story dealt with some difficult issues, but it was an incredibly moving play.


In a way, it was the perfect way to spend Valentine's evening: it reminded me, as I watched the beautiful relationship of the boy and the old man develop, that love means so much more than just the love you feel for your parents or your significant other.  Love is a word used to describe those people you truly care about and the ones you know truly care about you.  This holiday is just a reminder to take the time to tell those people that you love them.  I hope that you too take the time to realize all of the love that you have surrounding you!  Happy Valentine's Day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tis the season... to bake!

Image
Even being thousands of miles from the food celebrations that will happen this week, I somehow got the "it's time to cook" bug this Thanksgiving week!  This past weekend I made about 4 recipes worth of sausage and cheese balls (which have been a huge hit here!) to put in the freezer for upcoming celebrations and to share with others.  I'm also baking some more cookies to share on Thanksgiving day, so I made the dough for that tonight to start the process.  And last, but certainly not least, I made my grandmother's sausage biscuits. They are nothing all too complicated, these pinwheel biscuits, but oh they are delicious.  I know they are tasty, but I also know that one of the main reasons I love them so much is because I always think of her when I make them.  I was only nine when she passed away, and so unfortunately many of the memories I have of her have faded.  I don't think the smell of those homemade biscuits wafting up the stairs is something I could re
Read more

Senegal

Image
Senegal. My hope when I applied up for this program was that they would take me somewhere in the world that I would probably not choose to go on my own. When I opened my email that day in December, I realized my wish had been granted. I have the very slightest of connections to this west African country. Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a student in my classroom who had once lived on the streets of Dakar. It was complicated circumstances that brought him to my classroom, but I was forever grateful for the opportunity of getting to know this remarkable boy. Another small tie that I have to the country is that a former pastor went to serve in Senegal for several years. It is actually one of the very few countries in Africa that I feel confident in its location, especially as I play Worldle  every day. But aside from that, I am learning alongside the many of you, who have joined in my excitement about my adventure, while also questioning, “Now where exactly is that?” I know
Read more

Good-byes

Life is full of hellos and good-byes, and so to begin this new adventure, we decide that a Hello/Goodbye party would be just perfect for Kelly and I.  It was a wonderful way for me to say farewell to so many friends and loved ones and a way for Kelly to meet many new faces. The party made me realize even more so, what a life-swap this is.  Kelly and I will depend upon each other's friends and family members to help us find our way and help us make a home away from home.  I realized even more-so how incredibly blessed I am not only to have so many friends and family supporting me along my journey, but supporting Kelly through her journey as well.  They have welcomed her with open arms, just as I expected them to, and I know they will look out for her throughout the year.  For that, and for so many other things, I am incredibly thankful. I am so excited about my trip, and eager for the journey to begin.  For months, this seemed so far away and now, I'm on the eve of my "
Read more