Way I Feel...Sometimes by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

The poet Hafiz, beautifully describes this need to trust and to reach out toward others: Sometimes, too, a missing and/or lost device proves that not all is lost in terms of human connection. In addition, Gary hopes to give our students some hands-on table tennis instruction during SHS Ping-Pong Club sessions.įood, music and sports are powerful connecting forces.

Over the course of the evening, we discovered many interests in common, from table tennis to food to favorite travel destinations.Ī table tennis match is now in the works between my new friend and one of our Chinese language teachers, Yumei Zhan. The repeated answer of the king and queen to the young boy’s request is, “Any friend of our friend is welcome here.” Likewise, my new friends were eagerly greeted at the door. In the story, a young boy brings a series of wild animals to the castle of the king and queen for tea. As a librarian, one of my favorite children’s books has always been, “May I Bring a Friend?” by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers and illustrated by Beni Montresor. When we arrived at Kristina’s house, I invited my new friends to the party. As the Chinese Exchange Program Manager for the Sharon Public Schools, I look forward to this annual tradition in which our Chinese language teachers each prepare a favorite ethnic dish as part of our celebration of international friendships. Hosted annually by our World Language Chair, Kristina Dahlen, the event honors our visiting Chinese chaperone teacher from Xi’an. Ever patient, my new friend, Gary, stopped several times en route to make sure I was following along.Ĭoincidentally, the party I was heading for had a multi-cultural theme. In a Trinidad accent, he expressed to me that since he had some time available, he would lead me there.Īs it turned out, I was at least 25 minutes from the address. His beautiful wife and lively three-year-old waited patiently as he asked me for more specific information about my intended destination. I then decided to ask him for directions.

The driver parked next to me motioned to me that he wanted to merge back into the lane, and I let him in. Unfortunately, I had accidentally left the phone after a too long meeting on a Friday afternoon/early evening, and had yet to pick it up from the friend and colleague who had carried it home to safeguard it for me.įrustrated by my lack of knowledge of the area, compounded by my inability to let my friends know I was running late, I contemplated the situation while stuck in heavy traffic in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. Always more of a country mouse than a city mouse, I felt out of my element and adrift without my GPS. I was late for the party, and though the scent of warm spices filled the car, I worried that the rich samosas and mouth-watering pakoras were growing cold.

Way I Feel...Sometimes by Beatrice Schenk de Regniers