It was my first day working at the Child development Center at Stanford University. I was observing and interacting with a group of 3 years-old children. I was a little nervous because It was my first “real” job since I came to live in the U.S. and I knew that I had so much to learn. I was very focused on not making any mistakes. For me, everything was different in the way we interact with children and the adults in a new culture and language. At the end of the day I was certain that I had managed to hide how scared I was. I tried very hard to show confidence and learn as much as I could. I think I was pretty good at hiding my feelings from the adults around me, but not from one particular 3 year-old girl who approached me at the playground where we were waiting for parents to come and pick up their children. She sat next to me, looked me in the eyes and said, “What is your name?” I answered. Then she asked, “What is the name of your mom, dad, brothers, and sisters?” We engaged in a fun conversation about family and where we lived. She was telling me all about her family, too. When I thought she had asked me everything she wanted to know, she had one more interesting question to ask. She said, “Who is picking you up to take you home today? Your mom or dad?” I thought this was a legitimate question. I said, “My mom and dad didn’t live here, they live in Brazil. It’s a very far place, I don’t think they will make it here on time to pick me up. I will drive home by myself.” She looked at me for a few seconds. I think she was feeling a little bit sorry for me, because I had my first day there and I had to go home by myself. To my surprise she put her little cute hands over my hands and said, “It’s okay, your mom will be very proud of you today!” I realized that she was paying enough attention to perceive that I had a hard first day and she wanted to give me some comfort the only way she knew how to. What she said that day made so much sense and I knew everything would be good for me there because “the children had my back” and “I had theirs, too.”
