I love you
I have come to understand that this phrase isn’t thrown around as much in China as it is in America. I think this comes from a couple of sources, namely a more conservative culture and a more strict respect for teachers. I miss saying I love you- I would use it with my family, friends, teachers, and even respected adults. My experience so far with the Dandelion school is that this phrase isn’t just thrown around here. It is reserved only for when there is an authentic feeling of compassion and care.
Nobody had said “I love you” to me in the entirety of my time at the school, save friends and family reaching out from home. I wasn’t upset by it, I knew my place and understood that it most likely wasn’t anything personal. All of that changed on parent day, when all of the 7th grade parents came to visit the school on a Friday afternoon.
I showed up to the auditorium with my class, presumably to hand them off to their parents. Every kid was to put a blindfold on their parent, and guide them through the school as a trust activity. I then realized that a sizeable portion of my class had no parents present. Many were visibly upset, and the rest did a good job hiding their disappointment. Without a second thought, I gathered them all by my side. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I felt almost a paternal instinct. These were my kids. In America, I would have no problem saying I love them, because I truly do. I had 8 of my boys with me. You better believe I was wearing 8 blindfolds. They led me in a mob around the school, all of them touching me and holding me through the whole ordeal. After a while, the blindfolds were removed. As usual, I didn’t really understand what was going on, as a teacher was speaking on stage. Suddenly, it was time to say goodbye. I turned to see one of my students looking at me, Fen Sen, his arms wide open. Then he said it. In his Chinese accent but in English nonetheless, “I love you”. He engulfed me in a big hug. Each of my 8 “children” followed suit. An ‘I love you” and a hug. It was easily the most touching moment I have had in the almost 6 weeks of my time here.
It felt like a rite of passage in my acceptance at the school. These kids finally felt enough care, compassion, and affection to share this caring phrase with me. Dandelion was founded with love and compassion, and they are ideals that I see put into action by students, faculty, and staff every day. But I felt a completely different level of it on that day. Once this occurred, I felt my heart burrow even deeper into this place. I haven’t gone a day without saying it since.
I have come to understand that this phrase isn’t thrown around as much in China as it is in America. I think this comes from a couple of sources, namely a more conservative culture and a more strict respect for teachers. I miss saying I love you- I would use it with my family, friends, teachers, and even respected adults. My experience so far with the Dandelion school is that this phrase isn’t just thrown around here. It is reserved only for when there is an authentic feeling of compassion and care.
Nobody had said “I love you” to me in the entirety of my time at the school, save friends and family reaching out from home. I wasn’t upset by it, I knew my place and understood that it most likely wasn’t anything personal. All of that changed on parent day, when all of the 7th grade parents came to visit the school on a Friday afternoon.
I showed up to the auditorium with my class, presumably to hand them off to their parents. Every kid was to put a blindfold on their parent, and guide them through the school as a trust activity. I then realized that a sizeable portion of my class had no parents present. Many were visibly upset, and the rest did a good job hiding their disappointment. Without a second thought, I gathered them all by my side. It’s kind of hard to explain, but I felt almost a paternal instinct. These were my kids. In America, I would have no problem saying I love them, because I truly do. I had 8 of my boys with me. You better believe I was wearing 8 blindfolds. They led me in a mob around the school, all of them touching me and holding me through the whole ordeal. After a while, the blindfolds were removed. As usual, I didn’t really understand what was going on, as a teacher was speaking on stage. Suddenly, it was time to say goodbye. I turned to see one of my students looking at me, Fen Sen, his arms wide open. Then he said it. In his Chinese accent but in English nonetheless, “I love you”. He engulfed me in a big hug. Each of my 8 “children” followed suit. An ‘I love you” and a hug. It was easily the most touching moment I have had in the almost 6 weeks of my time here.
It felt like a rite of passage in my acceptance at the school. These kids finally felt enough care, compassion, and affection to share this caring phrase with me. Dandelion was founded with love and compassion, and they are ideals that I see put into action by students, faculty, and staff every day. But I felt a completely different level of it on that day. Once this occurred, I felt my heart burrow even deeper into this place. I haven’t gone a day without saying it since.