I Am From Sauerkraut and Cabbage Rolls

This post is part of a synchroblog from Shelovesmagazine.com . I just loved reading all the posts so decided it would be fun to write my own version!

I am from sauerkraut and cabbage rolls,
from the humming sewing machine and matching outfits with my mother and sister.

I am from the yellow house on Trafford Drive
that was different because it had only daughters and no sons
from a curly-haired mother who gave her other daughter the beautiful curls

I am from the 1959 Chevy Impala that was always clean and shiny
that got wiped down after every rainfall whether at home or in campgrounds.

I am from the mountain ash with it's beautiful orange berries
from the backyard garden with it's bush beans, peas and carrots.

I am from the father who learned English by reading from the dictionary
or reading the newspaper with a pencil in hand,
from Emanuel who everyone knew as Manny and his beautiful young bride, Edith,
from two daughters as different as day and night
from learning to change the tires on the car and mow the lawn.

I'm from large family gatherings with cousins everywhere,
From week-long Christmas dinners as we moved from house to house
From Sunday afternoons 'Kaffee und Kuchen' at Oma and Opa's house with whoever showed up
From summer camping vacations with cousins in the tents around us
From parents and aunts and uncles swimming across the lake while we played on the beach.

I am from Canada but most of all I am from Germany
even though I am from Romania and Poland, so hard for most people to understand,
from families of refugees who fled and lost everything except their lives,
from forever grateful hearts for a new country that took them in
from the Calgary Stampede and cowboy hats and pancake breakfasts
from views of the Rocky Mountains out of my bedroom window that gave me a forever love for mountains.

I am from our German church and praying Grandparents who modeled Christ to me,
I'm from Apple Strudel and curling Oma's hair on Saturdays after German school,
From modeling all the hats in the closet and making my grandparents laugh
From watching my Grandfathers cry as my sister and I sang hymns at the piano.

I am from piano lessons and theory lessons
from practicing piano in the early mornings while the rest of the house slept,
From singing and accompanying in church and youth group
From singing through all of 'Oliver' and 'Fiddler on the Roof' with my sister on Sunday afternoons.

I am from reading with a flashlight in the dark and never having enough books,
from being bilingual and loving it
from starting school not knowing any English to graduating with Honors and going on to University.

I am from strong German stock
from marrying 'an Englander' who knew no German but spoke my heart language
from three amazing children who grew up wonderful in spite of my failures as a mother,
from 8 beautiful grandchildren who I love with all my heart,
and from two little girls already in heaven, who make me long for heaven in my heart and have forever changed me even though I have yet to meet them.

I am from Jesus, King of my heart,
from generations of people who loved and served Him,
from a great-grandfather who was an evangelist and pastor and lover of missions,
from whom generations of blessings still flow.

This post is part of the SheLovesMagazine Synchroblog: I Am From  - See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/#sthash.LXRyN6MG.dpuf

This post is part of the SheLovesMagazine Synchroblog: I Am From  - See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/#sthash.LXRyN6MG.dpuf

This post is part of the SheLovesMagazine Synchroblog: I Am From  - See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/#sthash.LXRyN6MG.dpuf

This post is part of the SheLovesMagazine Synchroblog: I Am From  - See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/#sthash.LXRyN6MG.dpuf

This post is part of the SheLovesMagazine Synchroblog: I Am From  - See more at: http://www.judydouglass.com/#sthash.LXRyN6MG.dpuf