We put together a Love, Connect, and Care event for the seniors. As I washed and folded clothing donations for the event, I couldn’t help but feel gratitude for the generosity of the humans in my life that chose to donate. I was rather excited for the event. I was part of the conversation group. We created paper hearts with questions on them and clipped them on string that hung across the path of the event. This was able to play a decorative aspect for the event. During the event I found myself visiting the different stations to witness the interactions between other LCS'ers and seniors. I ended up at the paint station where I met Teresita, Yolanda, and Doris. They were a fun group of ladies to chat with. They had different personalities but had a playful bond with each other. They were singing along to a couple of songs from the playlist Jillian and I created. As I painted next to them, they asked me a bunch of personal questions. I didn’t mind, I assume they wanted to gauge what kind of person I was by asking me these questions. Answering their questions, provided me with the opportunity to ask them questions which they openly answered. I was able to learn about their likes and dislikes. They were able to share their opinions about their community. I was thankful to be able to witness unapologetic women authentically expressing themselves. I was able to exchange phone numbers with them and have been able to connect with them through text message.
I have spent the majority of my weekends this quarter having conversations with my mother for my Extraordinary Person project. Her story as a refugee has made me gain more appreciation for the life she has created for my family. Born at the start of the Vietnam War, she sacrificed her life at fifteen years old in hopes to escape poverty. She navigated multiple refugee camps and lost more than half a decade in her life. However, she had the opportunity to arrive in the United States in 1982 with the hopes to prosper. She worked at multiple restaurants and gained social capital with her human interactions. During my lifetime, I watched her create a life for my siblings and I. She created a life rich in culture and a life that promotes community. I separated her story into six parts to represent her four children and two grandchildren. I wrote those parts onto lantern paper and drew pictures that portrayed her experiences. I painted the bases of the floating lanterns white to symbolize growing out of ignorance to gain wisdom. Six floating lanterns lit with flameless tea candles, with her origin stories displayed, was how I chose to present my extraordinary person.