Some Spanish reflections

Along with my full-time job of being a stay-at-home mom, I work part-time as a Spanish interpreter.

I work day-to-day, and receive texts to see if I am available for any certain job. It works well, because I can coordinate jobs with David's schedule and only accept jobs when he can watch the kids.

I love it.

Speaking Spanish makes me feel like I can communicate with a whole new group of people. If language is a tool that helps connect cultures, I can be that bridge that helps someone feel more connected to our U.S. culture.

I know the feeling of being overwhelmed in a country that is different from my home culture. With different ways of prioritizing values. Different humor. Different "unsaid" rules that are understood without having to be spoken.

Sometimes I interpret for a person going for a doctor's visit. Sometimes it's for a family who is dealing with their child having developmental (mental or physical) delays and needing assistance with therapy appointments. Sometimes I interpret for a patient at a mental health clinic or hospital.

I love the feeling of being useful. That my Spanish education, and the time spent practicing it in Costa Rica is worth something more than just personal growth.

I understand that there are problems with immigration. I have no answers, and honestly don't really have much of a clue as to how to begin to solve those problems.

But I do know that people in this country who speak Spanish really appreciate it when someone helps them out. No, we don't have to. Yes, it would be easier if everyone in this English-speaking country spoke English.

But that's not the case.

Even though I spoke Spanish pretty good, I came across many situations in Costa Rica that were difficult for me to communicate. Sometimes it was hard to understand a person. Sometimes my brain was tired. Sometimes I just simply didn't know the vocabulary needed. There were many times I really appreciated the patience of a Costa Rican, rather than sensing their irritation of me not being able to express myself as clearly as I wanted.

Sometimes the "press 2 for English" option was very appealing when making a difficult phone call!

People who live in the U.S. are here for many reasons. Without being able to speak Spanish, it's difficult to understand their situation and what brought them here. It's easy to pass judgment. Easy to stereotype.

But it could be just as easy to speak in kindness. To smile. To be welcoming and helpful.

By learning Spanish, by traveling, by being immersed in another culture, by interacting with a variety of people here through their native language...all of this continues to teach me who I want to be as a person. Would I have come to the same conclusions of who I want to be without these experiences? I know I would see the world differently than I do now.

Everyone has a story, and I am glad to be a part of helping people tell their own.