Butterflys are Free

Blogging from Bruce
February 8, 2009


There are times when I see life unfolding around me like a butterfly breaking its way out of its chrysalis. It takes a lot of time and energy for the butterfly to squeeze its way out of the confines of the silk cocoon and then rest its weary wings while they dry and grow stronger until it is ready to flutter away.

When our family decided we wanted to be a host family to two international exchange students we thought we were prepared. We were already going to be experiencing major changes. Ariel was going off to the W for her first year of college. Erin was going back to public school after being homeschooled for the past 10 years. I was training for a new position at work and we had worked to get the rooms ready and to make this a second home for two more girls. Not only was there going to be a language barrier, there would be the added areas of culture and food but we were up for the challenge.

Being the perfectionist that I am, I really like it when things to go smoothly and nothing falls apart. No such luck. The dishwasher died, then the central heat and air units bit the dust and that was just the first week! Thankfully we were able to get those things replaced but at a big bite to the family economy.

Food didn’t turn out to be an issue as both girls have an adventurous spirit when it comes to eating. I also showed them how to use my stove and I told them to make themselves at home and they could cook anytime they were hungry. It’s been fun to watch them learn to make pan cakes and waffles and other things. And like typical teenagers they can leave some pretty big messes. But they will help clean up when I go in and start putting things away. They feel pretty comfortable in both the kitchen and laundry room now.

I worried at first about them staying in their rooms so much. But little by little they have both ventured out as they learned that they didn’t have to wait for an invitation to come and join the family. We have played games and had birthday parties and eaten huge meals and snacked in front of the television. The girls like to watch CSI as well as Scott and I do and it has made for some interesting conversations.

Friday evening I arrived home from work with a horrible migraine. I have the ocular type that affects my vision before the pain strikes. I made it home just before the pounding started. I was sitting down stairs in my bedroom in the dark when Ji Eun came down looking for some bottled water. I could tell by her voice that her throat was a little scratchy. She could tell that I was not doing to well either. She was hungry and I was a little so we went upstairs and I threw together a pot of spaghetti with meat sauce. It was quick, easy and the girls love spaghetti. Ping joined Ji Eun and me as we ate. We talked about how our day had been.

They told that there was no school on Monday and they were wondering what holy day it was. I sat there for a moment thinking about holy day and then I realized that holiday looks like ‘holy day’ to them. That led us into a long discussion about how English speakers pronounce things. Ji Eun then surprised me by pulling out my keyboard and playing a song for me that I love. I knew she had been practicing something in her room. It was a wonderful gift for me.

Ping has been studying to take the ACT test for the first time on Saturday. She was nervous and we talked about that. English as her new second language was going to be an issue and I know how she is about making a high grade so I talked to her about the test and how she shouldn’t be so hard on herself and to just use the first test as a the learning curve to get a feel for it and then retake it for the grade. She was up early the next morning fixing her breakfast and then she walked over to the school. I was cleaning house when she came back at noon. All she could say when she walked in the door was “whoooa! It was a lot of words!” I just laughed. She was starving, so she and Ji Eun headed down town to Jeffrey’s for a sandwich.

Later Saturday evening, Ping was doing her laundry when the washing machine decided to give up the ghost. And it gave it up in a big way. I thought the belt on my vacuum cleaner was burning. No, it was much bigger than that. The whole basement filled with smoke when the motor burned up during the spin cycle. The girl’s new assignment for this week is to go with Scott to find another washing machine because we won’t survive more that a couple of days without one; not with 3 teenage girls and 2 adults in under one roof.

Since their arrival in August, they have gone from being the exchange students and guests to being a real part of the family. Their time with us will come to an end after school is out in May. We have all been working our ways out of our little cocoons. Soon they will fly away. It’s going to be hard for me to say goodbye.