It’s a rare thing for me to write this little column on a short deadline, just in time for publication. I always like to allow at least a day after the first draft of anything I write, so I can look at with fresh eyes and edit out mistakes and boring parts! But today I’m going to do what the FCAT Writing test-takers have to do – sit down, write, and be done in 45 minutes – because I want to tell you about this party I just went to.
This fall, I’ve been volunteering with adult classes in English for Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL. Two mornings and one evening a week, I work with one to three students at a time, helping them with pronunciation and the oddities of English usage. It’s almost embarrassing how much I enjoy this work. I enjoy any type of teaching, no matter who the students are. But these students! They just blow me away with their stories, their work ethic, and their happiness to be here in the U.S. (They’re all legal, by the way, in case you wondered.)
Yesterday, the morning class had its holiday party. Festive clothing transformed the group into a shimmering rainbow of international beauty and handsomeness. Ethnic snacks and songs were shared. And then it was time for gifts. The students had drawn names for an exchange, but this was not the typical scene of short conversations between two people here, two people there, with presents unwrapped simultaneously. No, this was a community event.
Everyone stood in a circle as, one at a time, each student presented a gift to its surprise recipient. A grinning French-speaking man from Haiti started a simple chant and clapping, and everyone joined in: “Open this! Open this!” The refrain got louder and faster as the gift was unwrapped, and when each simple present was revealed – a set of hairbrushes, a picture frame –there was wild applause and cheering, hugging and handshaking, smiles and slapping of backs.
These were people of all shades, whitest white to blackest black. They were young and they were old. In their own lands, they were professionals and laborers. A Colombian dentist celebrated with a Chinese waitress, a Brazilian businessman with a Haitian janitor. To watch such diverse people connect through the giving of small gifts and their limited knowledge of the language of my home – well, my face started to hurt from smiling.
I am so glad that this happened at the beginning of my Christmas week. All my adult life, I have found gift exchanges to be stressful – wanting to give the right thing, wanting to show appropriate appreciation for the gifts I receive. The ESOL party reminded me how this whole holiday gift thing is really just an excuse to spend time with people you love, and hug and smile a lot.
Okay, FCAT scorers, if any of you are reading this, how did I do in 45 minutes? Was it a well-formed essay? Well, I don’t even care – I’m still grinning from seeing what really matters in life. May you all enjoy whatever gifts come your way during this season of joy!