This was my and my parents' experience. My dad was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and was the first to arrive in the United States. My mom, brother and I arrived a few months later. While Dad was getting the second of his graduate degrees, and teaching in academia, Mom stayed home with two toddlers under four.
We, too, didn't have a car - Mom and Dad didn't know how to drive. (They also had no idea how to cook a turkey.) How fortunate we were to have neighbors and landlords, and Dad's, and eventually Mom's coworkers take kindly to us.
Our first landlord, Grandma Emma, gifted us her sunny mismatched Fiesta Ware dishes. Grandma Leone, Dad's colleague at work, knitted us sweet little sweaters, and invited us for tea. Anne, our elderly next door neighbor, drove Mom and my brother and me to the grocery store each week. She taught Mom how to make coffee cake. Kinda. We learned the wonders of French bread, Sara Lee coconut cream pie, Bisquick, (Jolly) Green Giant peas in cream sauce and a host of other American delicacies. We'd bring them lumpia and pancit.
Small, tender mercies and acts of kindness, that to this day are not forgotten and will always be cherished and appreciated.
Thank you for sharing your story of your beautiful friendship.
1 REPLY
Patrick WattersMar 4, 2018
Indeed, but the Christ of God was before all. };-) ❤️
ORIGINAL COMMENT
I love this so much!
This was my and my parents' experience. My dad was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and was the first to arrive in the United States. My mom, brother and I arrived a few months later. While Dad was getting the second of his graduate degrees, and teaching in academia, Mom stayed home with two toddlers under four.
We, too, didn't have a car - Mom and Dad didn't know how to drive. (They also had no idea how to cook a turkey.) How fortunate we were to have neighbors and landlords, and Dad's, and eventually Mom's coworkers take kindly to us.
Our first landlord, Grandma Emma, gifted us her sunny mismatched Fiesta Ware dishes. Grandma Leone, Dad's colleague at work, knitted us sweet little sweaters, and invited us for tea. Anne, our elderly next door neighbor, drove Mom and my brother and me to the grocery store each week. She taught Mom how to make coffee cake. Kinda. We learned the wonders of French bread, Sara Lee coconut cream pie, Bisquick, (Jolly) Green Giant peas in cream sauce and a host of other American delicacies. We'd bring them lumpia and pancit.
Small, tender mercies and acts of kindness, that to this day are not forgotten and will always be cherished and appreciated.
Thank you for sharing your story of your beautiful friendship.
1 REPLY
Indeed, but the Christ of God was before all. };-) ❤️