Reflections

It is amazing how quick three days can come and go. It was as if my wife and i had just picked CL and M up from the airport, and this morning we are ready to deliver them to C in the city and bid them a farewell. In reflection, it was time well spent. True, we indulged them, perhaps a bit too much for their and our own good. True, we played tourists and really didn't do anything "educational" or "culturally gratifying". We simply enjoyed ourselves for three days.

It was, i think, an interesting experience for my wife and i. We've never spent time with ones so young before. No, not for an extended period of time. This truth was ever more evident when CL mentioned that she was born in 1990, the year that my wife and i graduated from high school. Yes, CL could've been a biological daughter of our's. Scary, but true! M, without saying, could also then be a daughter of our's as well. The challenging part of this weekend was to strike a balance between what my wife and i were willing and comfortable to do and what CL and M wanted to do. CL and M came to our city with certain impressions of what this city was supposed to be. These impressions are collages of images taken from their friends' travels and/or their family friends' fragmented recollections. We took it upon ourself to show them a balanced view of what this city is, from a tourist's view point, and what this city has to offer, from a resident's and our biased interpretation. i think we did a banged up job!

It was also our intent to challenge them to new experiences. Be it in the form of different foods or in the form of different enviroments. i belive we achieved this goal as well, though i don't believe the message we had intended to deliver was driven home so well. What was the message? you might ask. The message simply is, for them to realize, at thier young age and limited life experiences, that an open mind will serve them better than a closed one, that the world is greater and more complicated than one's immediate contacts.

At the end of these three days, my wife and i have concluded that we would like to spend more time with CL, and show her more of our world. This is not due to any arrogance on our part, i don't think. The place we live is simply a different place from where CL is residing. Our interpretations of life is certainly very different from CL's family's interpretation of life, stemming from cultural backgrounds and life experiences. For CL to experience a change in enviroment and a change in the lens through which life is viewed will further her understanding of the world, and more importantly, herself. CL is an amazing kid, looking at her accomplishments and talking to her about her life and aspirations makes me realize how far ahead of the curve she is. i certainly was no where near as accomplished or mature back when i was 16 as CL is now in her 16th year.