January 8th, 2016
We experienced good moments in this first week of the New Year. Here is a recap!
E started at his new school on Monday. We had already been in the building a couple of times and met his teacher, principal and some of his classmates before the Christmas break. Still, his first day was a bit nerve racking for all of us. Our family accompanied him to his classroom where his teacher was playing relaxing music and had the classroom lit by small lamps giving off a soft glow. It was both inviting and soothing.
Thankfully, E is adjusting well and seems to like it. He has twelve other students in his class and enjoys an hour break mid-day for lunch and recess. Today he wore his new school sweatshirt for Friday Spirit Day. It has the name of his school with “Germany” printed underneath it. He wears it proudly.
We drive on the Autobahn several times a day as we commute this week and next from our temporary living quarters on the northeast side of Kaiserslautern. Once we move into our new home, we will take some backroads from our village and shave almost twenty minutes off of our commute one way. I think the boys will appreciate the time to sleep in.
On Wednesday morning, E’s school teacher passed along a travel book from a mother of a fellow classmate. This mother had heard about the “new student in class” and thought of our family as we move through this season of transition. The book is full of helpful information for families new to Germany alongside fantastic travel tips. I can’t believe she is parting with it! This simple act of kindness touched my heart deeply. I felt cared for by this woman I have never met. Its a powerful thing to let someone know that you notice them…that they do not exist purely in the shadows as it may feel at times when loneliness sets in.
Later that morning, our littlest and I picked up hubby and drove over to our new village to meet with our landlord. We took our mandatory walk-through of our house with Herr Schmidt, agreeing with cracks and broken pieces of tile present BEFORE we move in. Afterwards, Herr Schmidt helped us set up our utilities and internet. His kindness allowed the process to go very smoothly. Not all landlords do this for their tenants. We are very fortunate.
As we were leaving the offices, a woman overheard us speaking English and asked our nationality. She had her two year old son with her and also spoke English. She and her husband moved here last August and live in the village. We introduced ourselves and shared contact information. I appreciated her boldness to reach out and connect. We started texting later in the day, learning a little more about each other. We are planning on connecting again in person once we move to the village in another week or so. I suggested that we meet up at that cute coffee shop. I can’t wait!
Herr Schmidt also gave us a short tour of the village. We met his friend Thomas, who invited us into his home for a nice conversation. Thomas is a teacher and Assistant Dean at a local school. He is fluent in both English and German. It was lovely to be welcomed into his home.
Our spirits have been lifted this week with these simple, yet intentional acts of kindness. Being on the receiving end, I was reminded of my friend, Audra, who works with refugees. She helps ease the hard of the everyday by walking alongside a family in both the practical and in friendship as they adjust to life in a new land. Its a powerful thing to reach out to someone. How grateful I am for how people reached out to us this week.
Smiles and hugs~
