PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW; LET'S DO IT TWICE

When Sunday, December 12th finally showed up we all felt a sense of being done too soon. After Church, Mrs. Hector, Ruben, and Mr. Hector headed out to the woods for an old Hector tradition, finding the Christmas tree and cutting it down. There is one big problem with this tradition, Mrs. Hector wants the "perfect" tree and Mr. Hector wants it to be over. Poor Ruben was caught in the middle. About an hour later, after looking, looking, and more looking, the job was done and a not so "perfect" tree was selected. Ruben proved a valuable ally for Mrs. Hector. 

The rest of the day was spent trying to pack way too much in way too little places. During their three weeks both Ruben and Armineh managed to pick up many valuable gifts for themselves and their friends. It was clear that getting these things on the plane without an extra cost could be a problem. It's one of the little problems that comes with making so many friends.

Ruben and Armineh arrived at O'Hare at about 5:30 P.M. for an 8:30 flight. A quick snack, a bunch of last farewells and photos and it was time to say goodbye. It was truly amazing how close everyone had become as a result of these trips. Final hugs and Ruben and Armineh were off............

Or were they? A few hours later and a telephone call to Ms. Merilos informed us that the trip would not take place that night. Problems with the airplane meant a new schedule for the next day and we had one more day with our guests. 

Despite the problems, Ruben and Armineh were in good spirits when Mr. Hector and Ms. Merilos took them back to O'Hare the next day. They boarded the plane at 4:30, and in about twelve hours they would be home to their families in Yerevan. Ms. Merilos and Mr. Hector were sad to see them go but happy that the project had gone so well.

In the final phase we hope to reflect on what we have learned from this experience and to thank all those teachers, staff, and administrators who did such a splendid job of making our guests so welcome. Ruben told me as he was leaving that he could not remember ever being treated so well by so many. For Ms. Redell, Ms. Merilos, and myself would like to thank all those who embraced this program and its participants.

Contributed by Bill Hector