February 9th, 2016
Hubby and I dated long distance. At the time, he lived in a climate where it rained almost consistently for nine months of the year. I was in the land of vast blue skies, enjoying sunshine on a pretty consistent basis. As we talked through how to close our gap in distance, weather played into the decision making. I also have naturally curly hair and temperamental joints…enough said.
Interestingly, weather did not come up in our conversations as we talked about moving overseas. I did not connect the dots when hubby insisted that we all have good rain jackets before moving here to Germany. How my curly hair behaves in humidity wasn’t even on my radar. I knew I was going to miss my massage therapist but I didn’t consider how my joints would fair. The reality of gray skies and airing out your house daily to help prevent mold didn’t sink in until we were here.
Thus, when the weather report shows a day of sunshine followed by rain clouds for five days and snow for another four days, we make it a priority to get outside. This past Saturday was one of those amazingly, beautiful sunny days. The boys grabbed their scooters, we slung our backpacks on our backs and headed out on foot around our village. It was time to do some exploring with hopes of becoming more familiar with our neighborhood.
Our first stop was the little market where we filled our bag with fresh fruits and veggies. Hubby ran those home as we continued on our way. He met back up with us near the train station. There is a ramp that goes over the tracks allowing us to cross from one side of our village to the other. We stopped in the bigger grocery store for a few more items before continuing along our way.
We took our now familiar trail through the fields, across the train tracks again and over to the Catholic church. The boys and I had wandered over here one day but turned around shortly after. There is an interesting watering area near the church where a little girl was playing in the company of an older gentleman that could have been her father. The boys joined her as they all moved the water with sticks they had found nearby. The sun was warm with temperatures in the low 50’s. We tried to read a sign to learn more about the area but Google translate was not being helpful. We eventually moved on.
We walked over to the church and found the doors open. How inviting! We accepted the open invitation and attempted to quietly enter. The light shone through the stain glass windows, giving the interior a soft glow. It was beautiful inside! The church, built back in the 1100’s, was originally a monastery. A sweet poster, showing pictures of children with Jesus, was propped up near the altar. After lingering for awhile and lighting some candles, we left the sacred space. Ash Wednesday is this week and there will be a service here in the evening. I want to go.
As we explored around the grounds of the church, we found these little purple flowers growing through the cobblestone paths and covering one area like snow. I was amazed to see such vibrant color in the middle of winter. With the rain and moisture comes unexpected beauty. I need to remember this.
Before we knew it, we were back near the little market. We saw an older gentleman giving his dog a ride in a basket on the back of his bike. The boys started brainstorming how to bring Adi out on one of our adventures.
One of Hubby’s coworkers, Liz and her daughter, joined us at the house shortly after we got home. We had invited them over to play and stay for dinner. Our paths have crossed a few times now but this was the first time we had them over to our home. We were glad we did! It was good to connect over a shared meal and our experiences of parenthood and adjusting to life in a new country. I like Liz and her authenticity. The warmth of the day lingered well into the night.
How grateful we are for this village, our home, time spent together as a family, new friends, sacred spaces, the slower pace, rain that brings flowers in wintertime and sunny days. I have been told several times that family and friends back home are praying for us. Thank you for prayers spoken on our behalf. We are slowly growing roots.
