#WelcomeHome Photo ChallengeFor many of us, “home” can be a place where we rest our heads or the people that we know and love. Home can also be your place of work or where your fondest memories were made. As an international community, the depth of how we define “home” is a testament to our organization’s unique and rich identity. How do you define home? Whether it’s your hometown or your amazing colleagues…let’s hear it, International ACAC! Share with us what home means to you through our #WelcomeHome Photo Challenge! In an effort to highlight community and get excited for the 2024 Conference, we are encouraging members to submit their #WelcomeHome photos! See some of our member submissions below.
Jump to the country:
BrazilCampinas, BrazilSubmitted: Nicole Riberio, Colegio Planck
CanadaLondon, Ontario, CanadaWhen I was a kid I was a picky eater. I didn’t like to eat my vegetables. At one point my mom got very concerned and started pureeing vegetables and putting them in soups I did like. (She only revealed this trick years later, and when she did I immediately understood why I drink veggie smoothies to this day). Because she had to take care of five kids on top of a full-time job, it was a challenge to select dinners that made all five of us happy without disappointing at least one of us. Many a time one of the five would be at the dinner table long after the rest of the family left, in order to finish up their bête noire entrée of the week. Sometimes I would be the lucky one whose favourite entrée would be on the menu that evening. In my case this was Campbell’s Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. (Everyone liked the grilled cheese, but I had at least one sibling who did not like tomato soup).
In any case, between the tomato soup and the surreptitious pureeing of my veggies, I thrived and my mom did not worry about me getting enough to eat.
So far, so good.
One day, when I was about six, my mom and I were in a Spencer’s gift shop [do they still have these? I wonder]. On the shelves, I spied a cup complete with the Campbell’s Tomato Soup logo. [I was not aware of the artist Andy Warhol, and what he had done back in the day with Campbell’s Tomato Soup and art]. Immediately, the sight of that cup rocked my world. How awesome and aligned my entire existence would be if I could enjoy my Campbell’s Tomato Soup IN a Campbell’s Tomato Soup CUP!
I asked my mom if we could get the cup. The answer was no, that’s not what we were in the shop for. Plan A had failed.
I proceeded to put Plan B into effect. We were months away from Christmas, and I decided to write a letter to Santa to ask for the cup for Christmas. I wrote the letter, something along the lines of “Dear Santa, I’ve been a very good girl this year. All I want for Christmas is a Campbell’s Tomato Soup cup so I can drink my soup from it.”
My mom reviewed my letter for content and clarity, then asked me, “Are you sure that’s all you want to ask Santa for Christmas? Don’t you want to add anything else to your list?” To which I replied, “No, this is the thing I really, really want. If I add other things, then what if Santa brings me one of the other things but not the soup cup – the one thing I really want?” My mom laughed, and duly sent the letter on its merry way.
Needless to say, I received a Campbell’s Tomato Soup cup from Santa under the Christmas tree that year. I received other lovely gifts as well. I totally do not remember what they were. For years I enjoyed the awesomeness and alignment of drinking my tomato soup from a tomato soup cup.
After I grew up, I lived and worked in the US, Germany, Taipei and the UK, and that cup came with me everywhere. Unfortunately, after over three decades of use and joy, the cup gave up its last and finally broke. (Yes, I cried when this happened.) Years later, when I was re-locating back to North America permanently and setting up house, my mom and one of my sisters came to see me. They gave me a housewarming gift, which lo and behold, turned out to be a set of antique Campbell’s Tomato Soup cups, one of which was the twin to my original. (And yes, I cried when this happened.) I could tell it was authentic because it had “USA” stamped on the bottom. My sister, who enjoys visiting estate sales, had spotted the cups on one of her outings, and knew how important they would be to me.
Now I drink coffee out of these cups. And I hand wash them instead of using the dishwasher, to give them that little bit of extra care. After all, I don’t want to lose them again.
Because I’ve been fortunate to live and work so many places around the world, it’s the people and food in my life, and objects like the Campbell’s Tomato Soup cup soup, that signify a warm welcome home to me.
Submitted: Carolyn Ford, Western University
Toronto, Ontario, CanadaSubmitted: Christina McDade, Lincoln Community School
Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaSubmitted: Adam Wu, Concourse Global Enrollment, Inc.
ChinaBeijing, ChinaSubmitted: Adam Wu, Concourse Global Enrollment, Inc. |
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