I have hung blue and silver Christmas bulbs from sparkling blue twine, these are shown off in my windows and wrapped around the plants. I tried my hand at making an Adventkranz, a Christmas wreath with four candles, one for each Sunday leading up to Christmas. Tomorrow is the official start of the Christmas season, December 1st. All Christmas markets will be open by now, and local theaters are playing the Nutcracker and children's holiday stories. No snow yet, and I am not complaining.
Instead I am incredibly homesick. Even with the house decorated for the holiday it doesn't help. I miss my mother stringing lights around every potted plant. Her 20 + santas crowding tables, the glass nativity scene that we each move around as we walk past (maybe Mary will pet the sheep now, and the camel will be looking at baby Jesus). I miss Dad making fires in the family room, cuddling with the cat and listening to football while watching Mom cross stitch new holiday door hangers.
I do not miss the snow.
Yesterday was the wedding of Laura's sister, Lisa. Lisa is a lot like me, prefers converse and t-shirts, always has her blond hair wrapped up in a bun, and doesn't really care what people think. This wedding was just their legal wedding, the real shebang will be in the summer. Even so, this was an occasion. Lisa wore a vintage lace, knee length dress with a jacket, and mint green pumps. All 30 of us family and friends piled into the courtroom where there were quick vows and signing of papers. Then we went to a pub, drank forever, and headed to a restaurant for a private dinner. At the dinner, Lisa's father made a speech. When he started talking, I glanced to the seven index cards in his hands, full of scribbled writing. I was exhausted, and wanted to get home to listen to the Cougar game over the Internet.
Dadt (Lisa's dad) started speaking. I understood the words, yet soon drifted off. A round of laughter brought me back, and I focused on Dadt once again. He spoke about how he could not have planned for a better youngest child (Lisa) how he was so proud, and happy for her and Philip. He thanked everyone for coming and seeing this proud moment of his. Lisa and her mother started to cry. I started to cry. I may have been in a different country, hearing the speech in a different language, but I understood the feeling. Dadt finished his speech, and we were all handed more sparkling wine.
releasing balloons after the ceremony
Later I reflected on the speech, amazed that I could understand that much German already. And yet, not. For even if the speech was in Gaelic or Klingon, I am sure I would have still started to cry. The emotion was there, the love for his family was there. And I realized exactly what I had gotten myself into. I had entered into another family, a family with trials and quirks, who loved each other deeply. Dadt and his wife Heili have been incredibly welcoming, they barely speak English, yet we laugh at bad drivers and Dadt now loves huckleberry jam. Laura and Marco have also been very welcoming. I have my own internet connection and password, a bedroom that is the size of my sisters apartment (complete with balcony), and access to anything else I need in the house. They buy my favorite foods, and let me sleep in on weekends. They are clear in what they expect of me, and easy to work for.
Then there is Eliano. This morning I was there when he woke up, I dressed, cleaned, and fed him. We played hide and seek, with pots and pans, and read books until I was off duty at 11:30am. During that time he gave me four kisses, squealed with delight when I found him hiding behind the arm chair, and often grabbed my legs looking for comfort.
I am dedicated to him now, more so than I thought I would be. He is more than just a little human I watch and make sure he doesn't eat a paperclip (or his favorite, leaves). I am dedicated to his development, teaching him and helping him speak and walk, playing, and making him laugh. I sing his favorite songs (all about birds) to calm him down when he's screaming or needs to sleep. I know his favorite foods (potatoes, bananas, and leaves) and have planned to buy him more books for Christmas, as I have his current five memorized.
Although the start of this Christmas season has been difficult, I am sure it will get better. In 23 days my sister will be here, we will celebrate German Christmas, then celebrate my birthday (with steak and gelato), we will fly to London, see the rest of the Mills clan, then travel to Berlin and Frankfurt. I will then go on to Leipzig and see the church where Martin Luther nailed his "Why I Dislike the Catholics" list. I am so excited.
And so exhausted of being homesick. Really, if I had just brought the cat.
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