John*, a vibrant young adult, used to live in a country plagued by war and this forced his family to become displaced.

 

One day, as John and his family were living in a tent, they heard drums playing outside. It was the familiar sound of their tribal drums. Their assumption turned out to be different from what they expected. It was the rebels luring them into a trap.

 

With haste, John’s father cut through the tent and told his family to run, not to look back, and in case any of them died, the rest were to keep running.

 

John and his family remained homeless, seeking shelter and safety in a neighboring country.

 

One day, an airplane flew overhead and John’s father said to him, “We will make it to America, someday.”

 

This dream has now come to pass.

 

John now has a great friend and mentor, Alex*, whom he met when he moved to the States.

Alex appears to be in his mid-forties and he has a big heart for reaching out to the neighbors in his community.

 

I met John while attending an event organized by Alex’s organization.

 

John spoke these words in reference to his friendship with Alex, which is thriving despite the language barrier they had in the beginning.   

 

“Language is more than a form of communication; Love is what connects us and builds a relationship.”

 

I walked away that night fully content, knowing that I don’t have to learn all the languages in the world to fully connect with people, but rather, a heart of love.

 

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of these people.