Emily,
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I agree that awareness of other cultures and languages is very important in the world today and that bilingualism is the key. I especially like when you said, “The knowledge of multiple languages gives individuals the opportunity to make deeper connections with others and have the freedom to communicate with those who speak another language.” Personal connections are very important in today’s world especially with the strong presence of technology. I also like how you mentioned the numerous benefits of bilingualism including the preservation of culture and personal development.

I think you make a valid point, but if Christmas stresses you out, you’re doing Christmas wrong. As if Christmas music incites a sort of festive PTSD. I may just not be open minded enough to understand that Christmas music can do anything but cause widespread yuletide cheer.

Dear Emily,
I loved your response to the power of language. I agree that it is heavily needed in the workforce. I like how you said “Poor communication creates lower productivity and an overall lack of motivation …” If someone is not trained properly, then it leads to an array of issue that could have simply been solved with communication. I think you bring great points that support your ideas.

Dear Emily,
I love your response and your ideas regarding the idea of a single story with students. You make your points very clear and understanding. I agree that it is difficult to see both sides to one person. We are very accustomed to keep a surface-level relationship with those we are not close to. I think more need to keep empathy in mind because they are not aware of how other react or what situations they are experiencing at home.

Emily, I loved how you presented this idea that empathy plays a major role in relationships because I, too, had said something similar in my blog post. Your introduction paragraph does a good job of leading your reader into your second paragraph. With that being said, I think you organized your thoughts well in this post and reading your blog was very easy because everything flowed. Another aspect I really liked is how you included a real life example of yourself, it helped the reader better understand what you were saying. After reading this, I believe this is a value I need to carry out more in my daily life!!

Dear Emily, your post really interested me because it demonstrates the idea that empathy is needed to build healthy and strong relationships, something I think society needs to pay attention to as social media continues to grow. I think it is important to not pay attention to only one side of someone, as you said, or else it can be difficult to build strong relationships. One thing you said that stands out for me is “ By fully looking at one’s life and their circumstances, our perspective of them can change completely.” I think this is a very intelligent observation, and something that I do not really think about often. It is very interest to me that the way a person acts at home, with friends, at school, sports, etc., are all different, yet by looking at a person within all of these circumstances, our perspective of them can change. Your post reminds me of one of my favorite literary quotes of all time, given by Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Atticus tells his daughter Scout that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view,” a lesson I believe is timeless and always relevant. I think your post demonstrates this same idea, that it is important to look at all the circumstances and try to see things from others points of view to understand them and limit prejudice that often happens from judging without understanding. Thanks for your project. I look forward to seeing what you write next because your post really reveals information that should be read by everyone because it will give them advice with building relationships. Your thoughts were very clear and well thought-out, and I hope to see another post from you again soon>