You see at the time each parent ( set of parents) in the class was required to contribute to the class in one way or another throughout the year. Some parents did parties, some did mini career days, but many taught us what they were learning, or what they knew.
This made for some very cool/ albeit different exposures as a kid. We learned music history (thanks mom), logic (I still adore logic puzzles), and Greek. In the course of 1st-3rd grade my small class learned basic Greek. One of my friends was the Greek Orthodox minister's son, and his mom was taking Greek lessons to enrich herself--what a great example of you are never past the state of seeking an education.
Each week she faithfully came into the class and taught us everything from alpha to omega. She even secured pen-pals for us in Greece, awesome mom, for us to write to in greek. Mostly these were form letters, but we learned.
On Easter she through a Greek style celebration with foods that at the time were so foreign, and some were even off putting. Nick's mom never made us try anything, but she worked so hard, and loved us in a way that I think we always tried to enjoy everything presented to us.
If you don't know me personally, let me explain that I lived in a very sheltered bubble. One where one culture seemed to pervade almost everything else, but because of this style of classroom we each were introduced to new cultures, traditions, and ways of doing things. That didn't mean that we had to adopt these ways of doing things, but it made cultures that weren't our own more familiar, less scary, and approachable.
Since moving to Dallas (among the 10 married moves plus those before I married), we have been blessed to be surrounded by friends and neighbors from completely different backgrounds. New cultures, heritages, beliefs, and educations, yet I have found that individually I have more in common with these strangers than I do with people from back home. We don't have to agree on everything to enjoy each others' company and perspective.
What a delightful discovery, that people who have so little in common, can have enlightening conversations, and good times. These are the people that I know have my back, listen to my worries and concerns, and lift me when I am losing hope. They are blessings to me in so many ways. So a fun challenge today, recognize someone who is not in your circle.
If your well is empty, then give away a smile, or a kind word. If you are blessed with a full well, give away the talent or time, that is your endowment. We all have something amazing to contribute to the conversation, to the fabric, and to the community that is unlike any other. We are Americans. Each with a beautiful heritage which could separate us, make us fear, or even hate the other, but what makes this place a refuge from the storm is that every individual can be ________American. Honor your heritage, in honoring each other. Smile and savor.
In honor of a culture that I got a small taste of years ago here are my two favorite recipes to make your normal foods taste a little more Greek. These recipes are simple, and require a minimal prep. The hummus recipe requires a good blender or food processor.
Tsatziki Sauce
- 1/2 English cucumber peeled
- 1 tub Cold plain Greek yogurt (either full fat or fat free will work)
- 4 cloves garlic pressed
- 1/3 cup chopped dill fresh or frozen- 1Tbs dried
- 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice Juice of 1/2 lemon; please squeeze a real lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Grate and drain cucumber. Combine everything together. Stir, taste, add more salt or lemon or pepper according to taste.
Hummus
- 1teaspoon salt
- 1tablespoon olive oil- you may need to add more to get the smoothest consistency
- 1pinch paprika
- 1teaspoon minced fresh parsley
Blend until silky smooth. THis may be more than you think. Blend one more time past what you think is adequate.
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