OK, so I knew I liked this guy when he gave me a soccer ball the first time we met. But he locked it in this weekend when he told me that Tyler Hansbrough was his favorite basketball player because "even though the NBA doesn't like him, he stayed all 4 years in college." He went on to tell me that the likes the NCAA better than the NBA because the NBA is "all about business"... he also said that he doesn't like the school he teaches at, because they just want him to teach for the exam and get mad at him when he teaches for "knowledge sake." Anyway you look at it, this kid is a winner.
I hadn't seen him for awhile because he's been working, so I asked him about his job. As the conversation went deeper I learned that he has to work because his dad died when he was a kid... his mom married another man (who has no responsibility for him), so now my friend is completely on his own. He has no support system and must carry himself through life.
We invited him to the house Sunday morning for an American breakfast. You guessed it, pancakes and eggs! He had never eaten a pancake before, never tasted syrup, and this was his first time ever using a fork. We had a great time hanging out and teaching him some of the basics of an American breakfast.
After we ate breakfast he started looking through a photo album that we keep on the coffee table. As he was flipping through the pictures he made the comment that "You look so happy... I wish I could lead a happy life." And then the reality hit me. Here I was, eating pancakes that were sent to me from America by my amazing in-laws, showing pictures of some of the great adventures I've been on with my unbelievable wife. And here he is, being reminded of the pain of his life, so that he can practice his English in hopes of being able to communicate better with me. How humbling it was....
I continue to learn more from my students than I think I can ever teach them. Please continue to lift up our friend as he searches for true happiness in his life!
No comments:
Post a Comment