Into the future with joy

People keep asking me if I'm missing something. And the answer often comes very quickly. I don't miss anything. However, on further listening and above all feeling, I have to admit to myself that I do miss something. But what exactly is it?

It's mostly people, moments that evoke fond memories in me. Feelings that I enjoyed feeling. And where I wish I could live them again. But we all know that the moments we lived have passed and that nothing will ever be the same again. And relationships also change and are in a constant state of flux. So I am all the more looking forward to everything that lies ahead of me in the future.

And yet sometimes I miss it. Since my trip, I have had to say goodbye to all my grandparents. There will be no more future together. And yet they are all present in my everyday life.

The sharp needle makes its way through the thin fabric of my beloved blouse. Over the years, the fabric has become thinner and thinner and the vibrant green colors paler and paler. Discolored by the sun. It has been such a faithful companion in so many moments. Until today. And the torn shoulders are mended once again to protect me from the strong Australian sun. And while I mend the tears with great patience, I think of the moments when I learned how to do it. From my grandma. I was still little back then. We sat together on the sofa, listened to folk music, which was always on the radio until 8 o'clock in the evening, and darned old socks to give them a new lease of life. Today I can see how precious those moments were. And how much they stay with me to this day. Beyond their death and to the other side of the world.

Sometimes I wish I could hear her voice and give her a quick call to ask for her special recipes. As I did so often. Today, however, it's often Google that I ask for advice. Yes, I miss them.

But I don't just miss people. Sometimes it's also landscapes and places. Or the culture, the music, the festivals. I keep hearing advertisements on the radio for the beer festival in the 'Bavarian tradition'. An attraction - even here in Australia. And I have to stifle a smile. If only they knew what it's really like. The exuberant, festive atmosphere with a brass band and people in colorful traditional costumes, braided hair and swinging their dancing legs.

I have wonderful memories.

Does all that stop me from going? Meeting people and getting to know their homeland? Traveling and seeing other cultures? To have new experiences? No. Because it doesn't make the past any less valuable. It gains value. Just like my old blouse, which has become even more valuable to me.

Valuable, loved and cherished.