I saw a sweet thing happen in Lord & Taylor tonight. A young Muslim woman was trying to buy gifts. She let her daughter (about 10) pick them out. They had decided on candy. Luckily, she mentioned to the saleswoman (who also had an accent) that they were Christmas presents and were they "okay"? Was it okay to buy candy? Good thing she said something. The saleswoman told her that what she was buying really was for Valentine's Day. They were, indeed, red hearts with white flowers on top. Pretty to a child, of course. The poor woman got very upset. She told the little girl she did not want to be embarrassed by buying the wrong thing. So, the saleswoman went with them to buy something that would be better. It turned out they were looking for presents for her children's teachers. I left them fluctuating between regular Godiva candy or picture frames.
Sometimes we forget how hard it can be to fit into a new culture. I gave this woman a lot of credit for trying and to the saleswoman for being understanding. Next question --- why does Lord & Taylor already have the Valentine's candy out!!
Sometimes we forget how hard it can be to fit into a new culture. I gave this woman a lot of credit for trying and to the saleswoman for being understanding. Next question --- why does Lord & Taylor already have the Valentine's candy out!!
