Heart Talk or Babble ?

Is the Language of Human Kind  Universal?

The Burning Question…..

Recently I attended several Expressive Arts Therapy courses with wonderful people from many different backgrounds and nationalities. During our time together, many of us connected with each other in deep understanding and communion.

A Korean classmate spoke English that greatly improved over only a few weeks and I commented on her incredible language facility.  She just smiled and said to me: “Linda, is easy talk with you.  You talk heart talk, same same, like me.”  So simply, did she state this beautiful truth.

This experience reminded me of a time years ago, when I was blessed to be one of the team members who facilitated the safe arrival of a family from Taiwan to our town. My task was to assist them in finding housing, supplies and to generally introduce them to the every day functioning of Canadian life. Amidst the many challenges and hurdles, we laughed, learned and shared much.

Early in our relationship, I invited the family to join us at the arena to watch my son’s hockey game. This I felt, would offer the 3 young boys an outing and some good old Canadian sports experience. My youngest daughter, about 5 at the time, loved any new adventure and she joined me on this day.  The family, although quiet was fascinated with the arena, the ice and the new sport.  After awhile however, Holli began pleading with me to allow her to take Khan, the youngest boy with her to show him around.

Off they ran together to explore and play.  This was the first time that they had been alone together, in a new environment. About half way through the game, breathless and bursting with boundless energy, my Holli ran up to me, interrupting our adult conversation by pulling on my coat. I immediately asked her what was happening.  She looked at me in complete surprise. 

 “Mommy, mommy” she said, “MOMMY, HE DOESN’T SPEAK ENGLISH !” 

Suddenly she was noticing that in all the time she had shared with the boys, the words they used were not the same as hers.  In all the getting to know each other, the exploration, fun, and joy they shared together, language had never mattered.  As  my new friend simply stated, and Holli intuitively knew, the language of the heart and soul always leads the way.

Too often in this world, we have chosen the TOWER OF BABEL mode of communication, with dire results. The language of human kind is indeed universal if we choose to remember.

What we truly need to understand one another is an open heart, the desire to connect and the remembering that we truly are all ONE.