Foreign Language and Lessons on Love

Tuesdays are our mornings to go on our Meals on Wheels route.  Lately our route of 5 has been widdled down to 1 or 2 on any given Tuesday due to various reasons (sickness, hospitalization and many we are unsure of).  The boys have been disappointed and so have I actually.

Today we asked if we could pick up an additional route to help with for the time being.  I don't want to give up our current route because the 2 people we DO visit weekly we do NOT want to give up.  We have grown quite fond of and in return they adore the boys.

The Meals on Wheels office was grateful for us to pick up an additional route that didn't have a permanent volunteer for.  They gave us one that was the closest by our current route, however it did take us into a more heavily populated Spanish section of town.

I got my new roster and we were off.  We had 5 new women to visit, all with Spanish sounding last names.  Come to find out, not only were these women all indeed Spanish, but did not speak any English so to speak.  It made the morning a bit more "difficult" than normal.

What is common, especially with the women on both of our routes, is they fawn, dote and love all over the boys.  For some it is their only time with little ones, many of their grandchildren live far away, and these two smiling faces would warm any ones heart...especially when they show up in flip flops and their cowboy hats! :)

Today was no exception.  The boys were compliment in Spanish numerous times, got numerous kisses from unfamiliar lips...but took it like sweet boys, understanding the sweetness behind the kind acts.  It was a bit uncomfortable when they would go on and on saying things to us in Spanish and we had NO IDEA what in the world they were saying.

One of our houses was definitely more challenging than the rest.  We pulled up to this house and knocked on the front door.  No answer.  Its customary to call from my cell phone to the house just to make sure someone is home, perhaps just not hearing the knock on the door.  If no one answers then we are to call the main Meals on Wheels office and report it...that way they can call the next of kin to check on them.

So I call and the woman answers, in Spanish.  We spent the next 10 minutes trying to speak each others language just so that I could try to relate to her that I was standing outside her door knocking.  The boys were cracking up at my poor attempt at Spanish and the pantomime I was doing outside trying to get across my point.  I even held the phone up to the door as I knocked...wasn't understanding.  I then said "Me at su casa"...she said oh come, come.  I'm thinking, GREAT, we understand each other.  Then she says "When?"  I'm completely forgetting how to say "now" and end up saying "immediato"! LOL

I eventually just said adios and hung up...figuring someone from the main office will have to handle this one because I'm out of ideas.  The boys and I are loading up in the car and this little dear woman comes out her door.  SHE FIGURED IT OUT!!!  Success...

Last on our stop was Nina, our "favorite" from our normal route.  She is also Spanish, but speaks English quite well.  When we got there she had an Easter surprise all wrapped up for each of the boys!  It was such a dear and sweet gesture.  Inside the beautiful wrapping were several eggs filled with various candies.  She got two big bear hugs and the boys left with humongous smiles on their faces.  

We talk often about the blessing that just their presence alone brings to these lonely seniors.  The light in their eyes and the joy on their faces is so precious when they see them.  I really think the boys value this time as much as they do....next time we just have to bring a Spanish dictionary along!