And Then Your Kids Know German

Sometimes when you live in Germany for a year, you go away for a few days with your family. Because the apartment you call home is small. And if you don’t, you start to go a little bit nuts. Plus, you want to soak up the Europe for all it’s worth.

You might go to a really super touristy place, like Heidelberg for example. And while you are there, you hear so much English you stop introducing yourself to your fellow-Americans, and you just pretend like you’re a German. Because the natives are grumpy. And tired of tourists.

And then you walk into a German toy store with your kids. And the store clerk speaks words you only pretend to understand. Because that’s how you roll when you’re pretending to be German. But your children respond to her questions, so she hands them each a balloon, and you all walk out together. When you get outside, your 10-year-old  tells you everything the store clerk just said. The 8-year-old adds details you knew nothing of.

And your heart soars. Because you realize that your kids know German. And, although you are not learning as quickly as they are, this is what you dreamed for them. It’s what you hoped when you said yes to this whole living-in-Germany-for-one-year-thing.

And when they tell you what the lady said, the one you only pretended to understand, you can’t get over the amazed. Can’t shake the smile. All you can do is stand in awe at the hand-painted beautiful God is crafting in your children.