A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY OF STRANGERS

Something I have noticed since we’ve been in Germany is the kindness and generosity we’ve experienced from just about everyone we’ve met. While, as a whole, the military families I’ve encountered have always made strides to welcome and include us whenever we’ve arrived at a new place – the camaraderie and genuine efforts to ease our transitions and bridge our gaps here have been really astounding. I think it has something to do with the fact that we all find ourselves to be an isolated community, here in this foreign land. We’ve all arrived with a lot to learn and had to depend on others to navigate through the process of acclimating to the customs, rules and adaptations that moving overseas dictates. This, along with our language and familiar customs, unites us with strangers in a way that we’ve never before experienced. I commented to Hubbalicous the other day – I suddenly feel like I can truly understand why cultures that immigrate to another land all seem to settle in the same neighborhood. The amount of comfort we derive from being surrounded by the English language and a shared culture is palpable.

We have been invited to many dinners with folks we barely know, in an effort to bring a friendly face to our new world, and to offer guidance in any way possible. We’ve been introduced to other families by folks we’ve only just met ourselves, just because we’re also new to the area and may have one other quality in common that could unite us (be it a lack of children, a neighborhood where we want to live, or an area of expertise in the military). Folks not only TAKE opportunities to reach out and help, they SEEK them here – and it inspires in us a desire to do the same.

Last weekend, as I rode the shuttle at the Frankfurt airport, I noticed a young American family also en route to Stuttgart. Swept up in the spirit of friendship and fellowship I have been marinating in for the past month – I leaned over and asked the wife/mom: “Do you live in Stuttgart?” She smiled and replied: “We are moving there today, actually”. This started a brief but very warm conversation about what brought us to the area and what we would be doing during our time here. I chatted with her adorable daughters for a few moments too – and suddenly the shuttle stopped and we filed off toward our plane.

Conversations such as these are not THAT rare for me. I have met a lot of very nice folks in airports and on planes. But this time I was inspired to reach out a little further. So, when we arrived at baggage claim, I approached her again and offered her a slip of paper with my contact information on it. I told her that I had a ton of resources via the military (they were not associated with the government) and that we were staying in Sindelfingen and that she could absolutely contact me if I could be helpful. She was somewhat surprised and seemingly grateful for the fact that I reached out. I honestly hope that she will contact me.

When Hubbz found me and I relayed the story to him – he too was pleased that I had reached out. I think we are both learning about generosity and kindness on a different level than before. For me, this is also a lesson about accepting help (something that’s hard for me to do sometimes). We know that it feels good to help others – and accepting help from people is giving them the “gift” of an opportunity to feel good too.