Day 137
Today, as we always do on the first Friday following the start of a new group, we organized a community lunch with our students. Because many of them come from foreign countries, we always get an incredible variety of exotic dishes.
This time around, our groups are made up of many young adults. So at the end of the meal, some of them put on good Latin American music and everybody started to dance. It very quickly turned into a party. Everyone was laughing, dancing and socializing.
All our participants are looking for a job. Many of them have left their country and come to Canada hoping for a better life for their family. They are often struggling with the language, with money and with winter. They are also dealing with feelings of loneliness and nostalgia. Immigration is not easy, even if you willingly decide to leave your country.
I feel we are giving these student far more than just an english course. We give them a sense of belonging. The other day, a student came up to me and said something that really touched me. She said: "You know, in the past year, I have felt very lost. In this class, I found myself again". Another student before the party, told my colleague John that he really didn't feel like being part of the event. He just got divorced and is going through a very rough time in his personal and financial life. At a certain point, we noticed he was dancing, smiling and having fun.
There really isn't a better source of happiness for me than to bring happiness to others. And I consider myself to be very fortunate to have a job that gives me the opportunity to do it on a regular basis.
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