We have gotten rid of our apartment, Jamie and I are staying at Michael and Molly's, and Terrence is staying with the Costa's. I have a bad cold, which believe it or not is good timing since Jamie and I are going to my parents next week, and it would have been very inconvenient to have a cold last week when I had to move us out of our apartment.
We were lucky to be able to give a lot of our stuff to the refugee center at the International Center of Providence. I was afraid that they weren't going to be able to come and get it in time. But they did. They were very nice and extremely grateful. They asked how I knew about them and I told them that I knew such places existed because my in-laws had sponsored refugee families in the past. They said they had four families coming in that week and that they would take anything we had. In addition to several pieces of furniture, housewares and clothing, I started looking for anything else they could use. I said how about a grill? They said yes. Then I asked them what about a bike and one of the guys named James (a very good name) was going to make sure they could fit the bike, I think he was already planning a good ride.
When they were about to leave James (their James, not mine) came over and said "thank you and I hope we meet again." My first thought was not likely, since we are moving to the bush. But then I thought how unlikely it was that we were meeting at all. How unlikely was it for him that he lived most of his live in Africa and then moved from the Sudan to Rhode Island to be standing in front of my now empty apartment?
I think I like, "I hope we meet again" better than, "it was nice to meet you." I suspect they serve similar functions, good manners, a closing, a way to say goodbye. But hoping to meet me again feels very different; it has a life of its own, an intention, and a wish for the future, a beginning- not an ending. And I am all for good beginnings right now since our move is just around the corner.
--Megan
We were lucky to be able to give a lot of our stuff to the refugee center at the International Center of Providence. I was afraid that they weren't going to be able to come and get it in time. But they did. They were very nice and extremely grateful. They asked how I knew about them and I told them that I knew such places existed because my in-laws had sponsored refugee families in the past. They said they had four families coming in that week and that they would take anything we had. In addition to several pieces of furniture, housewares and clothing, I started looking for anything else they could use. I said how about a grill? They said yes. Then I asked them what about a bike and one of the guys named James (a very good name) was going to make sure they could fit the bike, I think he was already planning a good ride.
When they were about to leave James (their James, not mine) came over and said "thank you and I hope we meet again." My first thought was not likely, since we are moving to the bush. But then I thought how unlikely it was that we were meeting at all. How unlikely was it for him that he lived most of his live in Africa and then moved from the Sudan to Rhode Island to be standing in front of my now empty apartment?
I think I like, "I hope we meet again" better than, "it was nice to meet you." I suspect they serve similar functions, good manners, a closing, a way to say goodbye. But hoping to meet me again feels very different; it has a life of its own, an intention, and a wish for the future, a beginning- not an ending. And I am all for good beginnings right now since our move is just around the corner.
--Megan
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3 comments:
You has internets! Yay! IM me when you get bored, I'm always on lately.
Have you been reading The Tenth Circle? What do you think?
Later on I'll try to send you that last pic we took of James & Robert so you can put it up on here if you want.
Talk soon. ::hugs::
Is Bethel a Synagogue?
Megan- so glad your goods are going to someone who will love and use them... james looks fabulous on the mountain... i wonder what hte landscape will look like in Alaska? xoxox jane
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