The Smile Factor

I'm sorry.  I have admittedly been a terrible blogger.  But, between juggling a toddler, setting up a new home, and trying to navigate a new society I feel I deserve a pass on this one.  So with that, here is my newest discovery... Germans don't smile.  I mean they do, but not as a rule.  For example, do you ever pass a fellow mom at the store and just smile at her that smile of - I get it.  Whatever you are going through in this moment, I get it because we are bonded by motherhood.  Do you ever give a smile to an elder passing just because they are your elder, and you want to say, "Hey, thanks for paving the way for my existence."  Well, apparently, all of my seemingly friendly smiles are taken as a sign of stupidity by most Germans.  At least the Hessians.  In their opinion (and really no one is right or wrong here because I can see it from both sides), what is there to smile about when there is so much wrong with the world.  To smile is to be naive to what is really going on.  A little doomsday-ish, but I get it.  On the other hand, there is a Chinese proverb that says something to the effect of, "If you see a friend without a smile then give him one of yours."  I bring this up because as I have spent every afternoon since we arrived here in September at the playground with my daughter, and this no smile phenomenon is even apparent amongst German children.  How strange it is to see children playing and not smiling...

Puppy Love

Puppy Love

Today I must leave my other child behind as our family continues with the preparations for our overseas journey.  My dog, a 9 year old dachshund named Screech, will not be traveling with us for a myriad of reasons; the first and last being cost.  Instead, he will be heading back to AZ with my mom when she leaves NY in a few weeks.  I know I’m supposed to be writing this blog from a mother’s point of view, but we must remember that being a mother can include those children that are fuzzy, furry, scaled, or hairless; have four legs, two legs, or no legs; and speak to our hearts in a million different ways.  Screech has stuck with me through thick and thin, witnessed my highest highs and lowest lows, soaked up my tears, shared in my joy, and sat quietly at my side and taken in life.  Namaste old friend; ‘til we meet again :0)