I Sveikata

I don't love teaching every day. Maybe even most days. But today...

My students were momentarily, angelically, miraculously quiet and focused, dutifully bent over peer editing worksheets. The seldom-appearing late afternoon sun was painting bright swaths of light all over the walls and whiteboard. Suddenly somebody sneezed.

"Bless You!" rang out in at least 4 (probably 5 or 6) languages - Russian, Lithuanian, English, Kyrgs - and I almost had to stop myself from laughing out loud, my smile was so big.

Most days the uniqueness of this place doesn't register with me. I no longer find pronouncing names like Sniazhana or Bakytbek terribly unusual. Even the occasional Kudaibergenova surname rarely raises an eyebrow. But today... counting the nationalities in my 2:45 class (Belorussian, Russian, Lithuanian, Kyrgs, Uzbek, Latvian, Moldovan), I felt and knew what a miracle it is that they are here, and I am here, and we say "bless you" to each other's sneezing any way that we know how.