We were celebrating my daughter’s birthday with a family dinner at Olive Garden. Sitting around the table, eating pasta, salad and those amazing breadsticks, we laughed with each other, chatted about the news in our lives, and relished the unique experience of being gathered together around one table. The meal was excellent, the company even better.
As the conversation and dinner lagged, Gabriel made an announcement.
“You know, today….it is exactly one month that I have been here. It seems so fast!”
I looked at him in amazement and realized I had forgotten I hadn’t known him his whole life. It was only one month ago that I had met this young man for the first time. One month ago, we had arrived at the airport searching for him through a sea of passengers, and hoping to recognize him from his photos. One month ago, we had drove from the airport trying to speak slowly for understanding. One month ago, we were nervous, polite and unsure of each other. Now we were “family”. Had it really been one month?
“You’re right”, I said. “It was August 15 and now it is September. Happy Anniversary!”
We reminisced about the past month. It had been good, very good, but busy. Lots of soccer practices and games, the frustrations of registering at a new school, the start of classes, crazy teachers who didn’t understand the struggles of taking a class as a non-native English speaker, catching the school bus; most of the time. So many things. So many experiences. So fast.
I usually try to remember important moments like birthdays and anniversaries, but this one caught me off guard. I’m glad we remembered, but I love that I forgot. Without our formal realization, Gabriel had become a permanent fixture in our family culture. He was not a stranger or a temporary resident in our home. At that moment, I realized, Gabriel was family.
An International Family 