Family
From Joy to Sorrow
My last Rumination dealt with time passing. Nostalgia. And regrettable, yet inevitable, lost connections. I didn’t know what was coming next. We never do, do we?
Read MoreA German Christmas Memory
I waited impatiently for the big night and watched the snow clouds pile high in the frigid sky, alternating between wishing for the beauty of snowfall and a clear night to accommodate us on our quest for the perfect tree.
Read MorePositive, for Corona and for Life
In 2019, I visited Germany in December to celebrate my father’s 93rd birthday, with plans to return in spring of 2020. By March, the Corona virus had changed the world and my plans to travel dissipated. It would be 2022 before I got on a plane to my beloved country again.
Read MoreMother’s Day 2022
For three days we snuggled in our private hospital room, staring at each other. I had never felt this kind of connection to anyone. I devoted my entire being over to this tiny beautiful creature who needed me so much. I knew my heart was not my own anymore.
Read MoreThe Tower
My mother’s family hails from a historic town in Bavaria called Sulzbach-Rosenberg. Built on a massive igneous rock, the town consists of uphill and downhill cobble-stone streets. The original section dates from the 8th century, and was once a vital center for the Palatine dukes and counts. A yellow castle sits at the very top of the igneous rock and looks out over the surrounding hills and valleys.
Read MoreMother’s Day
On a bright summer day in 1953, Susanna Fornoff walked into the print shop where my father had worked as a typesetter ever since his 1947 release as a prisoner of war. She was looking for part-time work, to supplement her modeling assignments and serving meals at a local Gasthaus. She was hired. My father was smitten.
Read MoreA Time of Giving Thanks
It’s that time of year to be thankful for all we have. To take a few deep breaths between our busy-ness and take a moment to experience the stillness we need to reflect on those tiny moments that pass by like images on a home movie. It’s reflecting on those snippets that create those memories which make up the story of our lives.
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