Go to Kate's Blog. Discover what the word of the week is.
Write for five minutes. Link up.
Then essentially... go to the person's blog who linked up before and offer a word of encouragement.
Today's Word is Welcome.
Hmm... I see this word and i start thinking...what makes me feel welcome?
I feel welcome when people greet me warmly and invite me in.
Or when I go to a loved friends home and I don't have to wait for the door to open but know I can just walk in calling my hellos.
But given that I have a Brazilian student currently living with our family I have to stop and wonder sometimes...how do I make a student feel welcome?
Is it just the matter that I open my home to them? Or do I need to make a concentrated effort to get to know them? To make foods from their homeland? To include him in what we do? To just stick with the goal of doing all things Canadian and talking as often as welcomed to show our welcome and inclusion?
And if those efforts are rebuffed does that mean that the student doesn't feel welcome? or does it just mean a teen being a teen and just wanting to hang out with other teens?
I have to admit, it's been a hard one to figure, but for the most part, I think through just sheer friendliness that my student feels welcome, even if we've had some bumps in the road due to language barriers. BUT he brings friends home now and that's a lovely thing and I think shows he knows he's welcome here. :)
Soon he'll be going home and I hope he understands that he is always welcome to come here for a visit. He's a nice kid and having him has been good for us I think. :) And i hope he thinks that we've been good for him. :)
So tell me this...what makes you feel welcomed?