My students graduated yesterday, each one a lovely addition to my collection—a new flower in my international bouquet. I teach English to foreign nationals in Northern Virginia. But really, we learn more than grammar and vocabulary. We practice community.

Bloom where you’re planted

This year, my class included women from 10 countries—a mini United Nations!

At the start of the year, we are uncertain. The students speak timidly. I introduce lessons I hope will be both useful and engaging. Seed planting. Over time, as I water and feed these seeds, something wonderful begins to happen. Timid students find their confidence. Friendships grow. We laugh at the absurdity of the English language and the wonder of words. Like a garden of flowers, the students begin to bloom.

Each class session begins with a Question of the Day. I posed one last question before the graduation ceremonies began: If you met your 20-year-old self on the corner, what would you like to say to her? These beautiful, smart, and thoughtful women shared some very wise words:

• “Be courageous! Don’t be left with woulda, shoulda, coulda!”
• “Don’t let others define you.”
• “Set aside your anxieties and remember to enjoy your life.”

I applaud these courageous women, who loosened anxiety’s grip and spent the past nine months defining their journeys and enjoying life together.

More than words

Sometimes I think that people underestimate the intelligence or wisdom of others who lack the language skills necessary for conversation. I recall feeling “stupid” myself when I was an expat in Paris many years ago with limited command of the French language. When you don’t have the tools to advocate for yourself or express an opinion, daily living is a grind. So that experience became my “why” for teaching ESOL . . . I remember how it felt.

To celebrate my students’ achievements this year, I created my own (embroidered) international flower bouquet. As a parting gift, each student received a hand-stitched bookmark featuring their home country’s national flower. You can see each design (some originals; others adaptations) in detail on my WIP page. You will find hibiscus, cherry blossoms, plum blossoms, peonies, red poppies, cornflowers, ox-eye daisies, chamomile, sunflowers, white lilies, and iris.

With the bookmarks, I shared this note:

Sweet friend,

I stitched this bookmark just for you.
With every stitch, I said a prayer . . . 
For you and your family,
For your future,
For your happiness and resilience,
And for the many memories we created
Together and with your ESOL friends.

If, over time, the English fades,
If you forget how to distinguish
Between compound and complex sentences,
If all the grammar gets pushed aside by daily living,
Let this little bookmark remain
A memory of our time together
And a reminder that you are loved by that English teacher back in the U.S.

I did not set out to be an ESOL teacher . . . or a garden tender. I do enjoy the fragrant and bountiful harvest, however. And the friendships! Finding ways to help others use their God-given gifts—be they words, talents, wisdom, or even embroidery thread—to make the world a beautiful place.