Last night I was taking the bus to a friend's campus and sat down next to a grandma. Now, in the words of my friend Patrick, "Chinese grandmas are the sh*t." It's true: they can do anything and exude a quiet confidence I aspire to. (Also, they can totally snake all the good veggies at the market before anyone realizes what's happening.) They rule with a silk fist. You don't mess with a Chinese grandma. And to a Chinese grandma, all the world's a grandchild, especially a lone foreign girl. I sat down next to grandma in my short skirt and knee-high boots, sans stockings, and she immediately began chastising me for being bare-legged. I explained I don't have stockings, and she started running her hands up and down the bare-showing parts of my thighs, trying to warm me up. After a year and a half here, this didn't faze me (haha, I first wrote "phase" me), but I still had to laugh at the image of a Chinese grandma feeling up a random foreig...
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The lady that I am working with has challenged me with this homework for the next week, I pass the challenge on to you as well. Each day, in that journal I sent you I want to you take 5-10 minutes and write down all the positives from your day. We tend to focus on the negatives, by forcing ourselves to view the positives and acknowledge them we are also altering our thinking patterns. Soon we will focus on positives more than negatives.
I know you are up to the challenge.
We'll compare notes next week!!!
You are going to be so very proud of yourself at the end of this experience. You will look back and say WOW I DID IT!!!! Don't rob yourself of that moment my friend.
(((((((((hugs)))))))))))
Hi Puff! Stay away from Chinaman! When will you be home? We miss you honey. We got your postcard but we can't read your return address. Email your address to Rhonda or Rod so we will have it.
We Love and miss you Hurry Home!!
Grandma & Grandpa
The following is from Rhonda:
Hi Reb. Thanks for the postcard. Sorry I haven't written, life is busy with children and grandchildren. Kenzie surprised me with a plane ticket to CA this month and I enjoyed 4 days with them and little Kieran. Jeremy and Catherine think they will be in DC next year but they don't know yet. How's your Chinese language coming? Love, Aunt Rhonda
-Damien
I'm keeping you in my prayers. I can't even imagine the difficulties you're dealing with. Remember that even if you feel like you're not making a difference overall, to one or two people, you are changing their lives. That's awesome and amazing.
Love you,
Sarah
You've gotten lots of sage advice so I shall just say "listen to them but listen to your heart too".
Life is too short for regrets of any kind.