Friend #33

The world really is very small.
I had to say goodbye to another graduating class of students...the Class of 2010. Saido is one of my very sweet students from Somalia. I met her sister Monta as I was hugging and hugging and hugging Saido and telling her how proud of her I am. I hugged Saido's baby - who showed me how he can walk now. I hugged Saido's husband. And pretty soon, Saido's entire family of sisters, nieces and nephews were all hugging me and my 12-year-old son whom I brought with me.
Saido has spoken about Monta a lot. When Saido found out last year that she was having a boy we both let out a disappointed sigh (see post #32). You see, Saido's sister Monta has four boys under the age of six. Like me, Monta would love a girl, but doesn't want to chance having five boys. (Parents of boys understand.)
Monta and I bonded at graduation. She thanked me for loving Saido while Monta and her family live in Minnesota. Minnesota?!? How did Saido leave this important bit of information out of her family bio??? I freak as I always freak when I meet another Minnesotan, 'cause we're cool people. "What part of Minnesota do you live in?" I eagerly asked Monta, but I really wondered if she's heard of St. Cloud. She said that she and her family recently moved to Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, to be exact. "I know that area! I used to live in the Cities!" And before that........they lived in St. Cloud for four years!!! I was giddy and waaay too excited. "Oh my gosh! That's where I'm from! Where did you live? Where did you work? Where did you kids go to school?" Monta must have thought her sister had a nut for a teacher.
Monta's husband was a student at St. Cloud State, where I went. She worked in a grocery store and they lived very near where I grew up. They even frequented a Somali grocery just five blocks from my home.
Now, I understand this must be very boring for the average reader, but it was heaven for me. For a moment within the graduation chaos, I was home. I was blissfully remembering that place I tried so hard to run away from when I turned 18, then returned when I was 21 for a few years.
It's interesting how Home turns into home after moving away. Although I can't imagine how my Somalian students feel about their original home, I'm glad they can at least share my home.