Home is Where the Heart Is (June 25th)

Today was dedicated strictly to seeing places in Sonnenberg that are important to Oma and Gerhardt. Gerhardt and Crystal promised to show my family around the town, to locations that are of importance to them and to my Oma.

Gerhardt has a 30 year old Mercedes. It is in prime condition. If I recall correctly, the car has less than 50,000 miles on it. It is such a nice car, and my dad and I got to ride in it. As we cruised around Sonnberg, people looked at us. This is something that Gerhardt loves and cherishes, and it shows with how well it is maintained.

Our first stop was the place where Gerhardt was born. Back then Oma's mother was the caretaker of a wealthy persons home/apartments. Oma was not born at this place as Oma is 10 years Gerhardt's elder. Our next stop was the cemetery where members of the family have been buried over the years. Burial practices are unique in Europe and are not what American's would expect. In America, families buy plots and those buried in those plots will stay there until the end of time. In Europe, families and individuals rent plots for certain lengths of time. When the time runs out, families can either pay for more time, or the inhabitants are dug up and cremated to make space for new residents.  Some of the family is no longer buried there. The most emotional stop on this tour of the cemetery was the resting place of my Oma's daughter and my mother's sister Marion. This was the first time that my mom has seen her grave since she died in 1996. My mom introduced Marion to her kids. We were all happy to see that the grave is well maintained. Those around Marion are covered in weeds. Marion's grave was clean and had a nice bed of flowers. Even in death Marion maintains her beauty. 

This grave belongs to the priest, a priest who was loved by all. When he died, the church bell cracked down the middle.  The bell was then placed on the grave of the priest. During WWII, the bell was hidden because metal was being melted down into weapons. After the war it was replaced to its proper spot. 

After the cemetery we drove up to the school where Oma, Gerhardt, and the grandchildren  went to and still go to. This is the place where Oma and Gerhardt learned the things that they carry with them to this day. When my Oma tells stories of her home, I could never imagine what things looked like. Now I can vividly recreate the places in my mind when I hear these stories.

A short walk away was the castle that rests above Sonnenberg. Gerhardt told me a story where a bull escaped its owners and rampaged through the town. The bull ran all the way up to the castle and jumped, or fell, off the ledge. So strange things happen atop these heights. Following the castle, Gerhardt and Crystal showed us the church where they were married, where Marion was married, where Matthias and Andreas were married.

A significant stop on our tour was Oma's kindergarten. This also happens to be the place where Concordia, the choir that Gerhardt, Crystal, and Matthias sing in, rehearses. In fact, Gerhardt's grandfather was one of the founding members back in 1870. Gerhardt and Crystal showed us where they sit in choir, the seating area in the corner, and the bar in the other corner. After rehearsals, the choir spends some time together socializing. Being as it is Germany, and Germany is known for its beer, it was not surprising to find a fridge filled to the brim with German beer. After rehearsal the beer comes out. Because Gerhardt is the master of the kitchen, he had a key to the fridge and we split a beer. Why can't rehearsals at home be like that...granted I went to a Christian school that banned alcohol on the premises.

In the choir room, my sister sat down at the piano and sang/played hymns that were known by Gerhardt and Crystal. The room was filled with singing. My sister also sang a solo for Gerhardt. There were tears as Gerhardt was happy that other people in the family love music and find happiness in singing.

Our last stop was Opa Paul Otto's Garden. He built this place as a place to escape to. This property does not hold much of a garden but it holds special significance. Here I was told a fascinating story. Opa Otto built an outhouse on the property, however, he did not build it to the right size. The door to the bathroom could open and close if no one was inside, but if the toilet was being used then the door would not close.

After visiting the garden, we returned to the home where we had tea, cookies, and cake. At this time Matthias, Alicja, Pascal joined us. We sat and talked for what seemed like hours. We were talking about everything. It was like we have been together for years. After a while, I went with Matthias back to his house so that he could give us a Concordia CD. He showed us his house and we listened to a solo on the CD that he gave us. I promised to send a CD and DVD of my recital to Matthias when I get them completed. When we got back, we had pizza with the rest of the family that showed up. Everyone enjoyed each other's company. I can see myself being with these people for weekends and holidays if I come back to Germany. It is nice to know that I have family that I can turn to. This means that I really need to learn to speak German. 

When it came time to leave, we all got up from our seats with heavy hearts. We do not know how long it will be till we see each other next. There were emotional farewells. Gerhardt said something to me. I could not tell what he said, but I believe he said something along the lines that "I am a good kid and that I will do great things. And to come back anytime." 

Tomorrow we fly home. It is hard to think that I am leaving a country that has given me so many fine memories. On the flip side, it has been so long since I have been home. It is time to go home, but I am sad to go. I am blessed for the experience that I have had with both Bethel Choir in Poland and with my family in Germany.