It is perhaps telling that I have more unfinished drafts for this blog than I have posts. The days have been sliding by so fast that trying to grab and hang onto them gives me mental rope burn. As we've articulated in our goals for students, we too have been trying to be present where we are instead of mentally off somewhere else. And now we are preparing to not be present anymore. It's almost time to go.
Actually being here has meant just a little of getting to know our neighbors (in this case, the shopkeepers on the ground floor who work incredibly long hours). They see us coming, they see us going, with the kids and without the kids, early in the morning and late at night.
Getting to know our neighbors means that I will miss much more than the view from our window. I will miss the people who have been the most beautiful part of Greece. We went to say goodbye to Sofia today, a woman the children befriended their second day here who always chats to us when we walk by...as we have been doing for weeks now. She had asked us to come by today to be sure she didn't miss us on our last day tomorrow. She gave each of the kids gifts and hugs, and me a powerful sense of the welcome we have received here. I could barely get out of there without weeping, which I later did leaning against the fence of the Acropolis Museum.
After watching the sunset from Mars Hill, we were at dinner and Charlie was reflecting on the people who have welcomed us. "People here love children so much!" was one comment. And then: "Mom, we should learn a bunch of other languages, so that when people from other countries come on Europe Semesters except for they come to the United States, we can make them feel welcome like people have done for us here. Don't you think so?" Bless him. Yes. And bless the Lord for the many kindnesses shown to us in this place at this time. After dinner, our hosts gave the kids balloons.
We will have more goodbyes to say tomorrow; the people at the bakery downstairs, for one (when we walked by early Sunday they checked about when we were leaving, and later slipped extra goodies for free into our purchase--a chocolate croissant for Meggie, no less, because they heard her asking for it.)
We'll see how tomorrow goes. Wherever we go, we will carry a piece of The Hellenic Republic in our hearts, as we have been carried in the open ones here.
I have got to stop reading your blog at work. Because then I end up in tears at my desk.
ReplyDeleteYou are in our hearts here, and I'm not a bit surprised you made your way into hearts in Greece. What beauties and what joys, Holly.
With love,
M
What a beautiful entry! Thank you, LORD, for sending people to love and encourage our friends when they are far away!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Pam
This post I am reading with my first cup of coffee. What a way to start the day! I am so grateful for you sharing your trip in this blog. The glimpses are gorgeous and encouraging- for I know that so much of this trip is planing, prepping, and (I suspect) no small amount of scrambling- but how wonderful that in the midst of all the crazy God gives you true connections? May this continue to be so, and that we all grow a little bit, as a result of you sharing this process. I bet there are more people in our midst in need of a human connection than we might think, and Charlie is right, might not we try to learn a little bit of their language, make them feel welcome in our busy lives?
ReplyDeleteI am praying that this aspect of your trip continues in your new locations. And that, when in those moments that it might not, you would be caught up in how much MORE the Lord loves you and your children.
Love,
Tawny