My daughter's new best friends...very sweet

[holboz]

My three year old daughter recently started attending a Montessori school. The other week her teacher told me that she quickly befriended two other little girls who just started. One little girl is South Korean. The other little girl is from Spain. Neither of these girls speak English. But the teacher said the three girls are inseparable so we Moms arranged a play date last week after school for them. We met at the Korean girl's house and as they played I got to know the other two Moms. Fortunately they knew quite a bit of English! Anyway, it was a typical preschooler play date only with an international flair...even my daughter is half English/half American.

The Korean mom snapped some photos and e-mailed them to me the next day. As I scrolled through the photos, the beauty of the girls' friendship really came to light.

Three little girls from different parts of the world. None of them could understand a single word the other was saying but that didn't matter.

They all like Disney Princess stuff.
They all love blowing bubbles.
They all enjoy juice and bananas.
They all love finger painting.
They all love hiding under a blanket suspended between 2 chairs.
They all love dancing to whatever music is on the stereo.
They all love to hug each other.

It brought tears to my eyes. What a lesson or reminder for so many of us...the pure innocence of children who instinctively focus on common threads instead of focusing on the differences. I was really proud of my daughter and I hope she always carries that strength inside of her.

[NanceGreggs]

1. A wonderful story ...

... and beautifully told.

Thanks for sharing it.

[Bozita]

2. Bushies are aways looking for "good news" stories. May I suggest yours?

Thanks for sharing.

[holboz]

4. LOL - do you think they could relate?

I think they're xenophobic! They might accuse my daughter of being a terrorist! "Whaddya mean she's got foreign friends? Are good ol' patriotic American kids not good enough for her?"

hee hee hee

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. I don't see anything wrong with focusing on differences...

:shrug:

[holboz]

5. my point...

is we're often so focused on differences(race, religion, language, culture) that we fail to see the common threads that could unite us and bring us together.

on edit: finished my sentence!

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. I understand the point

I just think it's liberal claptrap.

Differences matter.

[XOKCowboy]

6. That is sooo cool!

I've been to Spain and Korea. I met some wonderful people there and the only thing that separated us was language. Somehow we always managed to communicate, to laugh and get past the language barrier because we're all just people. Gawd it's so simple but so hard for some people to understand isn't it?

I get the point of your post and I think it's wonderful. At 3 people really are just people. I also hope that she carries that strength and openness inside her forever.

:)

[bananas]

7. Thank you! nt

[Madspirit]

8. k&r

Very nice story. Little ones love each other. They don't care about any of the stuff that doesn't matter.
Lee

[JCMach1]

9. My daughter's best friends on our block are Argentinian, Keralite (Indian),

Sri Lankan, and American... Her best friends at school are from Iran, UAE and Pakistan.


Multi-culturalism can be very cool for kids...

[breakaleg]

10. The bigger picture is, kids don't see external physical difference unless they are pointed out to

them.

[StarryNite]

11. We are all people.

What a great lesson she is learning at such a young age.

[madrchsod]

12. what? no hello kitty?

[OHdem10]

13. Wonderful story== Children have a way

going directly to what is really important--not
getting sidetracked or bogged down in the superficial.

[Karenina]

15. When my kids first joined me abroad

they had a playdate with the kids of a friend. By the end of the day, they had made up their own common language. I was able to hide behind my language skills for about 3 days before they beagn to SERIOUSLY catch on. "We DO KNOW what you said, Mom!"

[Morgana LaFey]

16. That IS a sweet story

and a testament to nonverbal communication, too! They're obviously responding to SOMEthing about one another, and whatever that something is, it's been communicated in some way. Fascinating.

[karlrschneider]

17. Every child is born free of bigotry, hypocrisy, prejudice and religion.

Every single one.