FEB 18 2021
In the Summer and Fall months of 2018, Alysia and her mom had just moved to Northwest Arkansas for her mom to begin her new job. She was brand new to the area, and making friends in a new place can feel especially scary when you’re a kid! Fortunately, Alysia wasn’t the only new kid on the block…S (name changed for privacy) and her family had just moved to the area after being resettled here through Canopy. It didn’t take long for Alysia and S to become friends! Today, they share memories that will last a lifetime- including S teaching Alysia how to ride a bike!
Alysia’s mom began filming her daughter learning to ride a bike when the girls first became friends.
“I sent this video to S’s Mom so that she could see that her daughter taught my daughter how to ride a bike in the summer of 2018.
Both of our girls were new to Fayetteville and didn’t speak the same language, but that didn’t matter.
I originally took these videos to capture my kid riding a bike for the first time, but now in the midst of what’s going on in our country, I see it as hope.
At the time, I was a volunteer with Canopy. My daughter and S were both very shy and didn’t talk much until they started playing together. I was sitting inside with the younger ones when I saw S helping Alysia ride a bike. Each time I went to their home to volunteer, she would help my daughter ride the bike, until eventually, she got it.
In the video you can actually see S’s older brother documenting the occasion on his phone, as well. We were all so proud of her!
The really sweet thing is that S was one of my daughters’ only friends when we moved here, and she invited S to her birthday party with only one other person from her school. We still try to find ways for them to hang out together every once in a while.”
This story is a beautiful example of how we can learn from one another and the power of friendship and our shared humanity. In fact, Alysia went on to tell this story on Capitol Hill.
“The following March, in 2019, we went to Capitol Hill with Canopy to advocate for refugees. My daughter talked about her friendship with S and was asked how she was able to communicate since they didn’t speak the same language. She pretty much said, “You don’t always need words to communicate.” Someone else asked her where S was from and she said: Fayetteville! without hesitation – not realizing the person meant where she was from before coming to the United States. It was so sweet.
I originally made this memory for S’s mom and me, but we want everyone to see how much they have taught us.”
Our community is so much better because our new neighbors are here with us! If you would like to get involved, click here to learn how.
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