On Friday a drunk guy followed Sheila and I home...well, he tried to anyway. i know that may sound a bit shocking - it certainly isn't fun to be followed, but also isn't horribly shocking or scary. We know it's a possibility and have a plan for it...namely, call someone if you're alone, and don't come home...get in a vehicle so he can't follow you etc.
So sheila and i got in an auto and ditched the guy.
When we got home we decided to tell our downstairs neighbor so they'd know what was going on in case the guy was still roaming around (the reality is, if someone wanted to know where we lived, all they'd have to do is ask where the foreigners live...we don't exactly blend in). Nomita told us that next time someone was following us we should just come home, and they'd take care of it. I told her we didn't want to show the guy where we lived, cause he had been drinking, and that made us afraid. She boldly (and lovingly) said, "don't worry. we are here, aren't we? next time you bring that guy home. we will take care of it. he will never come here again"
it is so beautiful the ways that i get to receive here. I believe her. I believe that if anyone they didn't trust, or they didn't know tried to follow us into the building they'd stop them. They love us. They watch out for us...it is so beautiful.
And then, the other day i came home and saw these decorations up by the door and down the hall.
I was pretty confused about how the paper chains got hung up in our house. I asked around a bit and found out that Chaya did it. Chaya is a long time friend of the community. She cooks and cleans at our place a few times a week...and she is a dear friend. Every time she is here she gives us all hugs before she leaves. She is a part of our extended community. She hand-made the paper chains and hung them up. When i asked her about it she said, "well, it's your Christmas. I wanted to decorate for you" - again...so beautiful. She knew that it was "our holiday" and she wanted to give us a gift and celebrate with us.
every time i see them hanging i smile again.
When we got home we decided to tell our downstairs neighbor so they'd know what was going on in case the guy was still roaming around (the reality is, if someone wanted to know where we lived, all they'd have to do is ask where the foreigners live...we don't exactly blend in). Nomita told us that next time someone was following us we should just come home, and they'd take care of it. I told her we didn't want to show the guy where we lived, cause he had been drinking, and that made us afraid. She boldly (and lovingly) said, "don't worry. we are here, aren't we? next time you bring that guy home. we will take care of it. he will never come here again"
it is so beautiful the ways that i get to receive here. I believe her. I believe that if anyone they didn't trust, or they didn't know tried to follow us into the building they'd stop them. They love us. They watch out for us...it is so beautiful.
And then, the other day i came home and saw these decorations up by the door and down the hall.
I was pretty confused about how the paper chains got hung up in our house. I asked around a bit and found out that Chaya did it. Chaya is a long time friend of the community. She cooks and cleans at our place a few times a week...and she is a dear friend. Every time she is here she gives us all hugs before she leaves. She is a part of our extended community. She hand-made the paper chains and hung them up. When i asked her about it she said, "well, it's your Christmas. I wanted to decorate for you" - again...so beautiful. She knew that it was "our holiday" and she wanted to give us a gift and celebrate with us.
every time i see them hanging i smile again.
1 comment:
I love the paper chain story. So thoughtful!
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