This story was originally shared by Borderless Friends Forever and with their permission we are re-posting. This lovely story was written by the Davis family out of North Carolina about their relationship with host daughter Atiqua Prithu (YES 2018 - 2019, Bangladesh, hosted by BFF in Angier, NC).

Some people ask us why we do this. I suppose many people see us as relatively young empty-nesters with time and opportunity to explore the world and enjoy responsibility-free weekends. My standard response, however, is, "Why not?" Perhaps that's why we're hosting our fourth exchange student this year.

The truth is that exchange students make us grow, even when we don't think it's possible to do so anymore. Hosting brings out our better selves. It makes us more reflective of both ourselves and the trajectory of our lives. Most of all, hosting instills in us the desire to be the best Americans we can be. I'm not sure anyone can offer an exchange student more.

We quickly became thick as thieves, and now I can barely recall what the days were like before she graced us with her smile and quick wit. Honestly, she is an extraordinary combination of everything we've loved in our other exchange students: she is the grace-filled patience of our South Korean student; she is the tender-hearted sweetness of our Spanish student; she is the bold courageousness of our French student. She is a daughter.

Atiqua is so like us, and yet so different, and we are fascinated by every aspect of Bangladeshi culture she shares with us. Of course, in true Davis style, we have toted Tika to the places our family has loved over the years, hoping to show her glimpses of who we are through our geography, and leaving indelible prints on one another along the way.

In her Valentine, Tika told me that when she came to the U.S., she didn't have specific expectations, but she'd hoped for a host family with whom she could have a connection for the rest of her life. She concluded that with David and me, she got more than she could have asked for: the best host family anyone could get. I hope I will always be that person.

When I consider our family, I think of Stitch in the Disney movie when he says, "This is my family..." and talks about how it is little "but still good." We are a "little family," but our hearts are full. Atiqua's combination of strength, courage, wit, and grit have endeared her to us forever.