Whoosh! Bang! Boom!
The sound of fireworks as they exploded at Disney World's Epcot amusement park. Two little American girls become friends amidst the ruckus. One with short blonde hair that almost seemed to conceal her big bright blue eyes, the other with loose golden brown locks and brown eyes. The blue eyed one speaks English and although the other little girl is American her first language is Spanish. Language didn't stop them, yet they both seemed to understand each other as they giggled and laughed. I was that little girl with curly hair. This is the story of how even at the young age of four I didn't allow language barriers stop me from communicating with others. This seems to be one of the reasons why I have always had a passion for learning new languages. Now as an adult I look back and realize that the real reason behind my fascination for languages is due to My Yeya Clara (grandmother). She is the one who truly inspired me to learn new languages and always told me never to give up in achieving it.
Born into a Cuban American family, my first language was not English. Like many young children, my first words were not "mommy" or "daddy" but instead mami and papi. In the early years of my life, my yeya was the one who cared for me while my parents were at work. Thus, I learned to speak Spanish while other children learned English. When I first started school it became difficult for me to learn English, because the only language I had ever known was Spanish. Eventually with determination, a strong drive to succeed and the support of my grandmother, I overcame the struggle of not being fluent making it seem like it was never a problem. As I grew older I realized knowing two languages had its advantages.
Yeya taught me to never give up always telling me "La vida es muy corta, aprender nuevos idiomas y viajar por el mundo así es como aprenderas nuevas cosas" (Life is very short, learn new languages and travel the world this is how you will learn new things). In high school I decided to learn Italian and Portuguese, but while many told me I was doido (crazy), my yeya supported me. She didn’t understand the language, but always encouraged and pushed me to speak to her in it. She would sit in her favorite wooden dondolo (rocking chair) with me on her lap gently caressing my golden brown locks. I would sing to her a songs such as "O Sole Mio" and "Volare" which were her favorites. Other times I would tell her a story in Portuguese that I learned in class. I felt connected to her with my Spanish and to others with my new languages growing founder of them as I realized how unique they made me.
"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head, if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart" (Nelson Mandela). Like Nelson Mandela said, I can now talk to my grandmother in a language she understands by saying "que ella fue una gran bendición haber conocido y tenido a una abuela tan sabia porque aprendi mucho de ella" (it was a tremendous blessing to have met such a wise person and to learn so much from her). Languages unite people bringing different cultures and backgrounds together. I am forever grateful to have inherited the appreciation for languages from my grandmother and the many opportunities that learning four languages has given me.
