Thoughts from the editor, Kristen A. Hammer:

When my Guatemala-born twin sister and I were little, our family often had visitors to our Stateside home, and some of our very favorites were our Guatemalan friends. During their stay with us, Spanish would be bouncing off the walls along with the extra joy that close friends can share, especially with such a famously fun language with which to express it. We girls relished these times. In fact, we told our mom, “Mamí, nuestra casa está más felíz cuando estamos hablando español.” (“Mommy. our house is happier when we’re speaking Spanish.”)

While my sister and I have lived seasons of using our Spanish more or less, we are both grateful for the early exposure we had in both Guatemala and the States. It has definitely added to our lives in more ways than one. I am still trying to speak it around the house some and am looking forward to sharing Spanish with my new little niece. She might as well get an early start, too! Perhaps I can be part of giving her at least a taste of how felíz a casa can be.

How about you? Does Spanish add an extra dash of fun to your life? Were you exposed to Spanish as a child? How did you learn Spanish or whatever your second language is? Do you intend to pass your second language on to the next generation? What’s your strategy? We’d love to hear from you, so please drop a comment to us!

Here at Understanding the Guatemalan Patient we share a love for the Spanish language that we hope to share with you. Check it out on Amazon today or contact us for other buying options!