Morning With Sunni

My landlord, Sunni, wanted to stop by today to pick up something she left at our place. She's really great but is Asian and our language barrier makes it difficult to communicate. Today when she sat down and seemed as if she wanted to talk a bit. She's older so I didn't want to be rude ... I recognize sometimes older people just want to talk and its not like I was busy or anything.

We began to talk about the election. Sunni shared with me that she had moved here in 1969 and how the country was back then. She told of the way minorities were treated ... not just blacks which I've been exposed to, but also how Asians and even the Irish were treated. She spoke of how she was sat down by older friends who had been here longer to tell her how to be in America. She painted an ugly picture that I know is the fabric of my country.

But then she spoke of hope. And how this election was huge for all Americans, not just minorities. She spoke about how it is an example of how quickly America can change. She said that '69 is less than 40 years ago and look how much the country has changed. Sunni spoke of hope and change so clearly and with such focus that our language barrier was gone. I could really hear her and the intent behind her words. And the joy she felt when she spoke of what she hoped would happen on election day. She also shared with me her hopes for her grandchildren who are 4 and 7 and how she wants the country to be when they grow up. I always thought Sunni was sweet but today I got to see a deeper side of her.

My morning with Sunni reminded me of what hope does ... it gives us joy and connects us all.