We meet the narrator happily playing outside when their mom calls to tell them that they will be coming to the United States. The narrator compares their heart to glass and throughout the story, we see them trying to cope with leaving their home behind. The narrator says goodbye to their Dad and home country, then describes a feeling of glass shattering.
When the Heart and the Mind Don’t Agree read by Natalia Chamorro
Cuando el corazón y la mente no están de acuerdo leído por Natalia Chamorro
Pre-reading:
- Think of a time when you received shocking news. Where were you? What were you doing? How did you react to the surprising news? Did you feel any sensations in your body? Did you scream, laugh, cry, freeze, or run away?
- Without saying anything about the actual news, focus on your reaction and share how you reacted to the news with a classmate. How did your body react? How did your mind react? What did you do when you first learned of the news?
- Do you think your heart (emotions) and your mind (thoughts) always work well together? Do your heart and mind always want the same things?
Post-reading:
For a short time, the writer tried distracting herself by watching television in the hotel. Did you ever watch television but not realize what you were watching because your mind was thinking of other things?
Draw one of the two scenes below. Add word bubbles to show what the person is thinking or saying.
- Draw a picture of the moment in the hotel room when the writer said goodbye to her father.
- Draw yourself at a time when you distracted yourself but could not stop thinking about the reality of what was happening.